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Individual data about energy-related behaviour is classified in six primary areas, namely, housing, mobility, diet, consumption, leisure activities, and information.
- consumer lifestyle
- residential
- energy efficiency
- energy
1. Introduction
Energy demand and consumption have been increasing rapidly over the past few decades because of the disruptive changes in energy industries and services as well as changes in people’s lifestyles around the world. The world is currently consuming about 9000 Mega Tonnes of Oil Equivalent (MTOE) energy, which has doubled in the last three decades [1]. In recent years, the residential sector in Malaysia has been responsible for 20.7% of energy consumption. The National Electrical Board (NEB) of the government works closely with electricity markets to balance the nation’s energy supply and demand. Market forecasting is used to predict future electricity demands and their distribution across power stations. Real-time estimation of the demand profile is performed throughout the day for the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors [2].
It is predicted that domestic power consumption in Malaysia will increase as a result of an increase in the possessing of appliances, an improvement in economic conditions, and a change in lifestyle [3]. The residential sector’s need for energy has skyrocketed in recent years as a result of rising demand as well as improvements in people’s quality of life, which has given rise to concerns on the part of policymakers. According to [4], consumer activities directly influence energy use (e.g., housing and private transport) and account for more than 43.0% of the total world energy use. Breaking habits can be difficult but not impossible. In fact, lifestyle changes are what is required to drive a net-zero carbon future.
It is now a new goal of household energy management to improve users’ energy habits, reduce electricity costs, and promote the efficient use of new energy equipment. To accomplish this goal, it is critical to collect energy consumption data, such as how much power is used, how long it is used, and what type of energy is used, as well as analyse users’ energy consumption patterns [5].
The behaviour of general residential customers in terms of energy use varies significantly depending on their lifestyle or how they live. As a result, electric power companies must create and offer appropriate services customised to energy user behaviour. Additionally, knowing one’s own inclination for energy consumption is useful information for customers when making decisions regarding tariff selection, purchasing household appliances, and the everyday use of household equipment.
Improving energy efficiency is important for reducing Malaysia’s energy demand, achieving sustainability goals, and improving the environment. However, monitoring energy usage in the residential sector, which is the largest energy consumer, is challenging due to the complexity of energy usage patterns. Comprehensive models are needed to study residential energy consumption effectively.
A study by Bin and Dowlatabadi [6] and Feng et al. [7] utilised the Consumer Lifestyle Approach (CLA) to understand the relationship between consumer behaviour, energy use, and CO2 emissions. However, the results from these studies were not accurate in predicting household energy consumption behaviour due to limitations in the data. Other studies that looked at household energy decision behaviours focused on income [8] and price elasticity [9] using household data.
2. Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is considered a cornerstone of a comprehensive energy policy. Both solutions must be developed simultaneously in order to stabilise and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Inasmuch as efficient energy consumption is crucial and impedes the growth of energy demand, increased supplies of pure energy may result in substantial reductions in the usage of fossil fuels [10].
Additionally, energy efficiency is acknowledged on a global scale as the most effective and economical means of achieving sustainable development objectives. Through an awareness campaign, building legislation, and building energy rules, the Malaysian government has been aggressive in introducing energy efficiency for buildings. The Malaysian Energy Policy emphasises a three-pronged strategy for managing the nation’s energy supply, use, and environment. It aims for prudent management of energy supply and use while minimising the impact of energy production in an effort to protect the environment.
The 11th National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) 2016–2025 of Malaysia outlines the methods necessary to accomplish coordinated and cost-effective energy production and consumption [11]. The 11th NEEAP emphasises improving the penetration of energy-efficient instruments and consumer conservation. Nonetheless, inconsistent results have been observed for Malaysian consumers’ responsible energy consumption. Malaysia is in the process of transitioning from its current energy production mix to a renewable energy mix, in which hydro and solar power will be the primary energy resources [12].
Energy efficiency has become a headline issue for governments around the world. Rinkinen et al. [13] emphasised that energy efficiency is defined as using less energy to produce the same amount of a good or service. Here defines energy efficiency as “using energy wisely and economically to sustain everyday life, live comfortably, and support wellbeing” [14]. In addition, energy-efficient appliances consume less electricity than inefficient appliances [15]. Air conditioners, light bulbs, washer–dryers, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, water heaters, tumble dryers, electric ovens, and dishwashers are examples of Energy-Efficient Appliances (EEAs) [16].
3. Residential Energy Behaviour
Residential energy behaviour refers to the energy consumption patterns and habits of individuals in their homes. This can include factors such as the type and energy efficiency of appliances used, heating and cooling practices, water usage, and other energy-related activities. Understanding residential energy behaviour is important for reducing energy consumption and promoting energy efficiency [17]. Residential consumers have been identified by researchers as a crucial target market for energy conservation. It was also stressed by Abrahamse and Shwom [18] and Wang et al. [19] that households play a critical role in energy consumption and conservation, and their energy usage is more difficult to regulate compared to other sectors such as industry. This is due to the challenge of influencing individual behaviour in households. This highlights the importance of understanding and addressing residential energy behaviour in promoting energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption [20].
According to Twerefou and Abeney [21], home energy consumption constitutes a significant portion of energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions in the residential sector in Indonesia [22]. Thus, increasing the energy efficiency of housing is a crucial strategy for mitigating climate change globally, as housing has a large impact on energy requirements [23]. There have been many studies on various aspects of residential energy use, with space heating being one of the most researched topics due to its high energy consumption. Space heating costs can vary based on factors such as the size of the area being heated, equipment efficiency, and utilization [24].
4. Consumer Lifestyle
Lifestyle research is not limited to a single field but has developed greatly in sociology and marketing. Lifestyle was first presented in marketing by Anderson and Golden [25], who described it as “the patterns that arise and emerge from the daily dynamics of a community”. The early study was successful in identifying lifestyle characteristics within patterns of consumer behaviours in domains such as travel, job, home leisure activities, and service use [26].
Along these lines, empirical studies that have been conducted over the past two decades have revealed that income, education, family size, number of people living in the home, number of hours a home is occupied, size and type of dwelling, and stage of life cycle (for example, young singles, young families, families with teenagers, empty-nesters, and retired households) are important indicators of household energy consumption. These factors all play a role in determining how much energy a household uses [27].
However, consumers’ lifestyle perspectives should be considered in the context of their personal, professional, and cultural backgrounds, values, and beliefs. Energy consumption is relevant to any activity that directly or indirectly uses energy or requires energy-intensive products or services [28]. To understand the relationship between energy consumption and lifestyle, individual behaviour and equipment use data need to be transformed into indicators for identifying energy lifestyle groups. The consumer’s lifestyle influences their views, choices, and behaviours towards energy-related items and services. Therefore, examining the lifestyle perspectives of consumers is crucial in understanding and promoting energy efficiency.
Household energy use and conservation actions can also be influenced by habits, rituals, and social practices [29]. A variety of factors influence customer energy usage behaviour. Among the most explored elements are socioeconomics, demography, housing/dwelling, household attitudes, household lifestyle, and technological advances [30,31]. Bird and Schwarzinger [32] divided the consumer energy lifestyle group into six separate areas of life: housing, mobility, consumption, diet, leisure activities, and information.
This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/en16083514
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