What is the meaning of Selfnudging for a Sutainable Lifestyle?
We research possibilities how people can personally include nudges into their private lives to reduce their personal ecological footprint. Therefore, a behavioral change towards a more sustainable lifestyle is sought.
What is the Goal of the Nudge?
We want to motivate people to sustainable change their everyday life by themselves. Therefore, our nudge contains an informative, a motivational and an attention fostering component.
Need Analysis
Relevance of heating
More than Two-Third of the energy consumption in average german households is due to heating.
Existing solutions
Technology-based solutions (smart-technology) are not sufficiently demanded in Germany.
Status quo in Germany
75% of the german households heat with natural gas and crude oil. Only 15% heat with CO2-neutral energy sources.
Cause Analysis
Cognitive component
Heating is a stimulus-response linkage as well as an automated, routine action.
Information deficit
Replicated information how to heat properly, but why to heat properly.
Physical component
Convenience and ignorance; situational fluctuation before the cold.
Target group
Every private person who does not use smart thermostats and heats decentrally with CO2-intensive energy sources (mostly gas and oil).
The added value of the Nudge
Reduced CO2
Reducing the room temperature by 1°C saves 6% heating energy. Thus, we reduce the private CO2 consumption.
Reduced costs
Natural gas and heating oil cost 10-12€/m² per year in Germany. In a 110m² apartment 1°C less saves about 75€/year.
Motivation
Self-nudging increases the intrinsic motivation to further optimize one's behavior in a sustainable manner -> for the benefit of the environment.