Energy Conservation in Rural India: The Impact of Context and Attitudes on Behaviour

Abstract

The energy conservation behaviour of people is a significant issue given the growing global concern about environmental issues. The current study is part of a larger intervention project aimed at changing the energy use behaviour of people living in rural households in Kerala, India. Preliminary activities of the project started in early 1997. The management and administration of the project spread over a period of 8 years. The study explores the extent of energy saved by these rural households when awareness, availability and training about the technologies are present, and thereby examines the impact of attitudinal variables and contextual factors on the energy-saving behaviour of people. This paper revisits the theories of behavioural change in the context of energy-saving behaviour and investigates whether Attitude, Behaviour, Context theory can be used to predict environmentally significant human behaviour. Findings revealed that traditional habits and beliefs influenced attitude formation in rural households and hence should be treated as an important consideration in changing energy conservation behaviours in the future.