Energy advice service as perceived by Swedish homeowners Krushna Mahapatra 1 , Gireesh Nair 1 and Leif Gustavsson 1,2 1 Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden 2 Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden Keywords Homeowner, perception, energy adviser, energy efficiency, Sweden. Correspondence Krushna Mahapatra, Mid Sweden University, SE-83125 Östersund, Sweden. E-mail: krushna.mahapatra@miun.se doi: 10.1111/j.1470-6431.2010.00924.x Abstract External actors can influence potential adopters to adopt energy efficiency measures. In Sweden municipality energy advisers are one such actor group who provides energy advice and information to the end users. The success of energy advice service for improvement of energy efficiency of detached houses depends on homeowners’ perception towards it. In this context, we conducted a national survey of about 3000 owners of detached houses through stratified random sampling method in the summer of 2008. We found that majority of owners of detached houses consider energy advisers as an important source of infor- mation. Furthermore, many homeowners who contacted energy advisers for advice had implemented the suggestions. However, only a few homeowners had contacted an energy adviser. Our findings suggest that it is beneficial to continue the energy advice service, but more efforts are needed to increase homeowners’ awareness of and satisfaction with such services. Introduction Substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emission from energy use in buildings can be cost-effectively achieved using existing mature technologies (Levine et al., 2007). Especially in cold climate countries like Sweden, where 60% of the energy used in the buildings (in 2008) is for heating and hot water purposes (STEM, 2009a), there is significant scope to reduce greenhouse gas emission through increased use of renewable energy, and installation of energy efficient heating systems and building envelop components. Examples of energy efficiency measures include replacing oil and electric heating systems with biomass- based district heating or brine/water-based heat pumps, improved wall/attic/basement insulation, and installation of energy efficient windows. However, poor information is recognized as a barrier to improved energy efficiency or reduced emissions (Tietenberg and Wheeler, 2000; Levine et al., 2007). Homeowners, who are the potential adopters, may not adopt the energy efficiency measures because of lack of adequate and reliable information, lack of awareness (Birner and Martinot, 2005; Owens and Driffill, 2008), or the inability to interpret the available information. Kempton and Montgomery (1982) showed that residential consumers in the US systematically underestimated energy savings, because they lacked the ability to use the information to calculate and compare savings with investment. Furthermore, potential adopters may have difficulties in perceiving the performance and advantages of energy efficiency measures if the gains are not directly visible (Levine et al., 2007), are insignificant or are delayed. Energy efficiency measures that reduce heating cost, for example by 20%, have a very small effect on the overall budget of the Swedish household, since heating expenses are about 3–4% of household expenditure (Nässén et al., 2008). Similarly, the benefits of green- house gas emission reductions are not directly visible and will occur in future. Informative policy instruments, which attempt to influence behavior by means of persuasion, communication and transfer of knowledge (Vedung, 1998), could be useful to promote household energy efficiency measures (Henryson et al., 2000; Lindén et al., 2006; Abrahamse et al., 2007). For the majority of potential adopt- ers, interpersonal sources like relatives, friends and peers are reliable sources of information on an innovation (Arndt, 1967; Midgley, 1983; Bearden et al., 1989; Rogers, 2003). However, expert advice may help the potential adopters to improve their decision confidence (Heath and Gonzalez, 1995), especially in difficult decision situations (Gino and Moore, 2007) that are usually associated with adoption of unfamiliar and investment- intensive energy efficiency measures. The European Union (EU) directive on end use energy effi- ciency and energy services (Directive 2006/32/EC) stipulates that the member states create a conducive atmosphere for the market operators to provide more information and advice to final custom- ers on end use energy efficiency (The European Union, 2006). In Sweden, the energy advice service is recognized as an important informational instrument to improve energy efficiency in Swedish detached houses (Statens Offentliga Utredningar, 2008). State- sponsored energy advisers operate in all municipalities to provide free of cost independent advice to the end users on energy issues. International Journal of Consumer Studies ISSN 1470-6423 International Journal of Consumer Studies 35 (2011) 104–111 © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 104