What motivates building repair-maintenance practitioners to include or avoid energy efficiency measures? Evidence from three studies in the United Kingdom

Domestic energy-efficiency retrofit is an essential component of achievement of UK decarbonisation policy targets. UK policy strategy however has tended to focus on technology and new-build, with the implication of inadequate engagement with issues relating to the practitioners in the repair-maintenance-improvement (RMI) sector who work on energy-efficiency retrofit of the existing building stock. Addressing a gap in the literature on deep understanding of what is important to these practitioners, the study offers a novel application of a theoretical framework of behaviour change. Three datasets were aggregated, of semi-structured interviews with RMI practitioners around the UK. Template analysis was applied to the 31 transcripts. Focusing on motivation, evidence was found for motivations including pride in work, variety and challenge, working independently, maintaining a viable business, positive working relationships and customer satisfaction. Personal commitment to energy efficiency and co-benefits such as reduced condensation were additional motivating factors. Demotivations, which encouraged behaviour away from greater energy efficiency, included perceptions of increased cost, lack of confidence in technical standards, habit, and perceived burden of compliance. Implications for policy are proposed, including a reminder that profit is not necessarily a primary motivator for micro-enterprises, that changing attitudes is as important as providing information, and that all aspects of the context in which RMI practitioners operate must be considered in order to formulate effective policy.