The Energy Savings Barometer from Vattenfall has been published, revealing the measures people are taking in response to the energy crisis.
The research has found that both investing in energy efficiency and making small behavioural changes are playing a part in how consumers in Europe are tackling the energy crisis. Compared to other countries, the French seem to have adapted most in their efforts to consume less energy while the most innovative consumers live in the Netherlands.
Martijn Hagens, Head of Customers & Solutions and Heat at Vattenfall, said:
The results show that customers perceive the energy crisis to be overcome by joint social efforts. It is the sum of small and big steps that will help to keep prices under control in the short run and transform our energy system towards a fossil free future.
On behalf of Vattenfall, Statista surveyed 5,000 consumers in Germany, Finland, France, Sweden and the Netherlands.
According to the results, nine out of ten consumers are concerned or very concerned about the high energy prices. French consumers are worried the most, fearing that the situation will continue to worse. The Finns and the Dutch are slightly more optimistic. There, almost every second consumer believes that prices will remain the same or decrease in the future.
For more than 90% of respondents, the main motive for saving energy is to save money. Over 70% agree that they lower their energy use to protect natural resources while more than 65% do it to be less energy dependent from other countries. The French show the highest motivation to save energy for environmental and climate reasons among all five countries.
According to newly released figures from Eurostat, gas consumption in the European Union fell by almost 20% between August 2022 and January 2023.
People between 18 and 35 years have so far been the least likely age group to change their behaviour in daily life to reduce energy consumption. This is a trend that can be observed in all countries. Younger people have also taken fewer investments in small-scale energy saving measures such as using LED lights compared to all other age groups. This age gap disappears among house owners, that most often invested in insulation, heating and solar panels.
According to the survey, the most innovative consumers live in the Netherlands. Their homes are most often equipped with energy-efficient technology both with features that can be easily implemented and by having insulated their homes and installed solar panels.
More results from the survey:
To consume less energy, consumers have made a wide range of behavioural changes in their everyday life:
- Using less light was most often mentioned as reduction measure in Sweden (77%), Finland (80%) and France (81%)
- 80% of Germans cook with a lid
- 82% of Dutch consumers reduced the temperatures in their homes
- Consumers in the Nordics are less flexible to adapt their heating behaviour. Around 60% of people reduce temperatures at home or heat only the most frequently used rooms (nearly half of respondents)
- More than two out of three take shorter showers. And one out of three take cold showers, the Finns most often implemented this measure (41%)
- About a quarter go to bed earlier than they used to do
Many consumers have also made small and medium-sized purchases:
- More than 72% switched to LED lights
- 70% of Germany purchased power stripes with off switches, 42% of Swedes did that
- 56% of Dutch people bought a water-saving shower head. In Finland, 33% of consumers made such an investment
