Abstract
Programming clock thermostat settings involves no financial cost to the consumer and requires little effort, making it a feasible target behavior for increasing energy efficiency through automatic control of temperature setbacks according to time of day and activities of the residents. Goal setting theory was used as a framework to experimentally test the energy saving effects of goal and information specificity on planning a programming strategy and the resulting consumer performance in terms of projected savings. Specific goals were found to significantly increase planning time when specific conservation information was given and significantly decrease planning time when only a vague, “do your best” goal was given. Increased planning time did not predict performance, however, users who had never owned a clock thermostat had significantly higher projected savings in comparison with subjects currently using such a thermostat. Results are discussed in terms of implications for energy conservation programs to change thermostat behavior.
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