Energy savings behavior in the context of the energy crisis in Germany

: exploring the influence of self-efficacy and subjective knowledge

Abstract

The European energy crisis of 2021/2022 caused by gas shortages and demand surges had a massive impact on Germany’s economy and forced the country to rethink its energy policy, improve its energy security situation, and address the underlying weaknesses exposed by these times. Reduced households’ energy consumption significantly contributes to mitigating this crisis which highlights the need to promote their energy savings behavior by stimulating its influencing factors. This thesis aims to close a research gap and examine the influence of crisis self-efficacy (CSE) and subjective crisis knowledge (SCK) on energy savings behavior (ESB) in a post-crisis context at home, using two validated instruments by Park (2016) and Flynn and Goldsmith (1999). Data was collected in December 2023 from the population of German households through an online survey which resulted in a valid sample of 394 participants. Subsequent data analysis using SPSS (v. 29.0) and SPSS AMOS (v. 26.0) for structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses revealed that both CSE and SCK have a direct and significant positive effect on ESB. Additionally, the relationship between SCK and ESB is partially mediated by CSE, thus also indicating an indirect effect between the two variables, meaning that higher levels of SCK and CSE not only independently but also in combination increase ESB. The results suggest that individual assessments of knowledge and capabilities are decisive when it comes to exhibiting relevant measures for crisis mitigation and prevention. Therefore, the findings lead to several recommendations for effective policymaking and overall crisis management making use of the gained insights on factors influencing energy savings during and after a crisis.

Date of Award	24 May 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Filipa de Almeida (Supervisor)