Evidence on environmentally conscious consumers’ preferences for energy-use automation in Germany and Spain

Stepan Vesely

Utilities Policy, 2025, vol. 92, issue C

Abstract: Can environmentally conscious consumers become a driving force in the uptake of energy-use automation? To help answer this question, we collect survey data from samples drawn from the general population in Germany and Spain (combined N = 2864). Self-reported rates of energy-use automation adoption reach 30.0% in the German sample and 41.0% in the Spanish sample. Environmental self-identity, environmental norms, and one's tendency toward environmentally friendly consumer behavior influence preferences for energy-use automation in Germany but not in Spain. We discuss the possibility that this difference could be attributed to energy-use automation becoming so normalized in Spain that psychological characteristics cease to play a significant role in adoption decisions. Certain other individual characteristics and structural conditions are associated with automation technology preferences, particularly age, gender, income, education, and dwelling type.

Keywords: Technology adoption and utilization; Automation; Sustainability; Environmental identity; Environmental concern; Environmental norms; Consumer behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:juipol:v:92:y:2025:i:c:s0957178724001553

DOI: 10.1016/j.jup.2024.101861

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