Power Of The Individual: Saving Energy Through Conscious Consumption

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to capitalize on an opportunity to become more sustainable. The points in question are: How much energy savings can be achieved through conscious consumption alone? What changes are people willing to make at their own discretion? Are there any correlations between certain demographics and energy use? Experimental results from 10 households showed that the minimum savings achieved over one month are equal to a potential annual savings of 250,000 GJ of natural gas, 43 million kWh of electricity, and 5 million m3 of water across Calgary. Water-related changes were the most commonly applied by participants. Successful households had more members, more kids, slightly higher education levels, more awareness in reality, and less awareness by perception compared to their less successful peers and the applicable statistics. Overall, energy-saving tips were deemed an effective mechanism by which to notably reduce energy consumption in an urban setting.