Marketing Home Energy Efficiency: Benefits and Barriers to Adopting a Home Energy Efficiency Program

Energy efficiency can contribute significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the associated mitigation of climate change. The uptake of energy efficiency measures in the residential sector requires significant effort on the part of the homeowner or residents. This study examines the perceived benefits and barriers to enrolling in a home energy efficiency program. Two surveys and a series of focus groups were used to determine the benefits and barriers perceived by individuals in varying geographic regions of the United States, and to develop and test marketing materials that target these benefits and barriers. Cost savings was found to be the most important benefit to individuals across the country. Increased comfort is the second most important benefit to those in the South and Midwest, while those in the Northeast demonstrated interest in the associated increase in home retail value, and those in the West found the environmental benefits to be important. A set of marketing messages, images, and testimonials were developed from this research and are presented within the framework of three options of marketing plans for a home energy efficiency program.