What drives energy decadence? Survey evidence on energy consumption perceptions in South Yorkshire

Numerous UK national and local energy policies seek to reduce domestic energy use, which is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Drivers of domestic energy use are complex, but previous studies show income is a dominant and consistent factor. Many policies focus on alleviating fuel poverty (for good reasons), but to reduce emissions they should focus on reducing energy use among those with higher incomes. To address this need, we explore the concept of energy decadence: sets of norms that sustain highly unequal levels of energy consumption between socio-economic groups. The aim is to map energy use patterns, examine changes and test multiple variables to understand factors underpinning energy decadence. This paper presents survey results of 622 residents of South Yorkshire (a region of high socio-economic inequality) who were asked about their attitudes towards and perceptions of their household's energy use. Our analysis confirms energy use increases with income. There was no evidence energy use is linked to climate change scepticism or how often people think about saving energy. However, energy use increases with increasing feelings of not being in control of their energy use and of not understanding how their home uses energy. Policies to reduce domestic energy use among the highest energy uses should consider that households with higher incomes are less likely to reduce their energy use in response to the cost of energy and should instead focus on improving how residents understand and control their energy use. We offer some suggestions to enable this.