Impact Analysis of Customized Feedback Interventions on Residential Electricity Load Consumption Behavior for Demand Response

Abstract

Considering the limitations of traditional energy-saving policies, a kind of energy conservation method called the Information Feedback to Residential Electricity Load Customers, which could impact the demand response capacity, has increasingly received more attention. However, most of the current feedback programs provide the same feedback information to all customers regardless of their diverse characteristics, which may reduce the energy-saving effects or even backfire. This paper attempts to investigate how different types of customers may change their behaviors under a set of customized feedback. We conducted a field survey study in Qinhuangdao (QHD), China. First, we conducted semi-structured interviews to classify four groups of customers of different energy-saving awareness, energy-saving potential, and behavioral variability. Then, 156 QHD households were surveyed using scenarios to collect feedback of different scenarios. Social science theories were used to guide the discussion on the behavior changes as a result of different feedback strategies and reveal the reasons for customers' behaviors. Using the Chi-Square test of independence, the variables that have strong correlations with the categories of residents are extracted to provide references for residents' classification. Finally, the practical implications and needs for future research are discussed.

Addressing Behavioural Technologies Through the Human Factor: A Review

“…Three main problems where addressed: i) the limited evidence of efficacy in the reviewed works and the difficulty of validating this results, ii) the need for user engagement to avoid technology uptake and iii) the potential for unintended consequences due to a meaningless presentation of the data. These results reinforce one of the cornerstone ideas that articulate this article: innovative feedback mechanisms are needed to actually engage users taking into account the individual differences and giving importance to ''the human factor'' [141], [142].…”

An Empirical Approach to Differences in Flexible Electricity Consumption Behaviour of Urban and Rural Populations—Lessons Learned in Germany

“…In order to explore the flexibility of residential electricity consumption, various approaches have been analysed to identify effective measures to promote household members' willingness to shift energy consumption. These approaches include flexible pricing schemes such as time-of-use pricing (e.g., [18,19]), the provision of standardized or customized feedback interventions on residential electricity consumption (e.g., [20,21]) or the increase of involvement of electricity consumers in questions of energy supply and use through fostering (co-)ownership of energy infrastructures (e.g., [22,23]) with many studies showing for the latter that promoting (co-)ownership often offers a more deeply engaged participation in demand side management systems (e.g., [8,24,25]). Further research suggests a rather holistic approach to explain and guide consumer energy behaviour taking into account research from social science, economics, and humanities [26].…”

An Agent-Based Approach for the Planning of Distribution Grids as a Socio-Technical System

“…For example, when people learn that others act more sustainably than they do, and the comparison group is similar to the receiver [12]. Nevertheless, it must be considered that different types of customers respond differently to stimuli, and customized feedback is required to achieve the desired result [20].…”