Identifying perceived barriers and benefits to reducing energy consumption in an affordable housing complex using the Community-Based Social Marketing model

Abstract

Energy consumption in the residential sector can be significantly influenced by human behavior. However, only limited behavior change research exists that is aimed at reducing energy consumption in the affordable housing sector. This study seeks to implement the first two phases of the Community Based Social Marketing (CBSM) framework in an affordable housing setting. The goals of the research are to identify optimal behaviors for energy reduction and to identify perceived barriers and benefits associated with those behaviors, using an affordable housing facility in Loveland, Colorado as the case study. Five target behaviors and their leading barriers and benefits are established. By implementing this framework, this study also identifies potential issues and nuances in the CBSM process that researchers should take into consideration during future implementations of CBSM in affordable housing environments.