By Celsias Team
Posted on Jan. 17, 2011. Listed in:
It looks as if many homeowners are still a little reluctant to invest in sustainable innovations for their homes, with the risks outweighing the proposed benefits. That’s according to research carried out by Victoria University’s PhD graduate Dr Lauren Christie.
The study found the reluctance to adopt proven sustainability innovations often results from an exaggerated view of the risks involved. Those risks include the upfront payment required and skepticism that the technology would deliver what it promised.
"A lot of people are wary of the capital cost of the technologies and don't believe it's money they will get back," says Christie.
And not everyone wants to stand out in the sustainability stakes either.
"The group of homeowners I was studying—people who say they want sustainability innovations but aren't buying them—were affected by other people's perceptions of them. They didn't want to be first.
The study also found that having energy efficient technologies installed in a house is currently not valued in the real estate market.
Christie found that while online ads, which have more space, sometimes market homes as having sustainability innovations, the words are usually dropped in the shorter printed version. Christie says communication around sustainability innovations for houses needs to be reframed.
"People already have plenty of information about these innovations and are put off by the complexity of the issue and the number of choices. They don't need more information and they don't need apocalyptic language about what will happen if they don't do it."
So what suggestions does Christie offer to encourage a move to more sustainable behaviour? For starters, implementing schemes that offer people 'loans' to pay for sustainability technologies with repayments coming from the savings they make. Providing proven default options to simplify the purchase decision and encouraging the use of display meters in homes to make energy savings visible, is another strategy.
Other possible initiatives include providing proven default options to simplify the purchase decision and encouraging the use of display meters in homes to make energy savings visible.
Christie says sustainability innovations also need to become a norm in society to reduce the perceived social risk of early adoption.
"In this area, people are more likely to be influenced by what families, neighbours and colleagues do—people who they see as being similar to themselves—rather than having high profile individuals endorse sustainability,” says Christie, adding, “programmes to convert whole neighbourhoods at a time could be an effective way of encouraging uptake.”
Image: Flickr - DorkyMum
If you are a resident in former Waitakere City, you are eligible to be a part of the Retrofit Your Home Waitakere programme. This initiative involves a free home sustainability assessment, a written report with recommendations for your home, and access to up to $5,000 which is collected off your rates at a nominal interest rate over nine years. We can also help you get access to the EECA home subsidy which will cover up to $1,300 of insulation costs, and $500 towards a clean heat option. The Waitakere programme is available to all homeowners and landlords. We have funding to do around 200 homes before June 2011. You can contact the Auckland Council for further information.
Written in January 2011