The Impact of Consumers’ Green Skepticism on the Purchase of Energy-Efficient and Environmentally Friendly Products

Abstract

Interest in and acquisition of energy-efficient items and pro-environmental products and the scale of these purchases depend on consumer attitudes, especially those related to beliefs that such products are usually more expensive than their nonenergy-efficient counterparts. However, green skepticism is a phenomenon that weakens the willingness to buy both energy-efficient and pro-environmental products. This skepticism is enhanced by the phenomenon of greenwashing, which has become a popular way of competing, whereby companies strive to appear to be more environmentally friendly than they are. Therefore, we wanted to investigate consumer attitudes toward energy-efficient products and environmentally friendly purchases. We conducted a survey using a computer-assisted web interview (CAWI) technique throughout Poland. The research sample included 1000 individuals and was representative of gender, age, and place of residence. The results of our study showed that women, people with a higher education, and people in better financial situations accept higher prices for products that do not cause environmental damage. Moreover, willingness to pay higher prices for products that do not cause environmental damage correlates negatively with a negative assessment of producers’ social responsibility and with a negative assessment of consumers’ social responsibility. We proposed theoretical and practical implications.