Electrically Savvy or Not? Tentative Portrait of the Romanian Student as a Consumer of Electric Devices and Utilities

Abstract

The understanding of student profiles is critical in educational processes, providing valuable information on the learner’s knowledge, aspirations, expectations, and behaviors. The research aims to profile students’ relationship with electric energy resources across three issues: the use of energy-efficient devices, interactions with available devices and utilities, and the display of adaptive behaviors to environmental conditions and exploitation of resources. The research is undertaken in the oldest university in the western part of Romania, schooling 13,000 students. The methodology consists of monitoring energy consumption on the university campus hosting around 6000 students in 16 dormitories, and of a survey mapping of their energy-related consumption behavior. A total of 1023 participants participated in the study, with responses indicating significant differences in the studied population, which cannot be viewed as a homogenous group. Gender and place of residence influence the results. While the respondents display a relatively high overall awareness and responsible energy-saving behaviors, women and on-campus students seem to be more inclined to adopt energy-saving, sustainable behaviors. The findings of the research are useful for developing data-driven strategies to enhance and consolidate student energy saving behaviors and to plan for nudging messages to induce sustainable choices in the student body.