The influence of energy audits on the energy efficiency investments of private owner-occupied households in the Netherlands

Energy Policy

Volumn 65, Issue , 2014, Pages 398-407

  Murphy, Lorraine ^a  

^a DELFT UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY   (Netherlands)

Author keywords

Energy audits; Existing private dwellings; Policy instruments

Indexed keywords

EFFICIENCY MEASURE; ENERGY AUDIT; ENERGY EFFICIENCY INVESTMENTS; ENERGY EFFICIENT; EXISTING PRIVATE DWELLINGS; PERFORMANCE BASED; POLICY INSTRUMENTS; RESIDENTIAL SECTORS;

CARBON DIOXIDE; ELECTRIC UTILITIES; ENERGY EFFICIENCY; ENERGY POLICY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT; HOUSING; MANAGEMENT;

INVESTMENTS;

ENERGY EFFICIENCY; ENERGY MARKET; ENERGY POLICY; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT; INVESTMENT; PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT; RESIDENTIAL ENERGY;

NETHERLANDS;

EID: 84890310694     PISSN: 03014215     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2013.10.016     Document Type: Article

References (47)

1. Abrahamse W., et al. A review of intervention studies aimed at household energy conservation. J. Environ. Psychol. 2005, 25:273-291.
2. Barr S., Gilg A.W., Ford N. The household energy gap: examining the divide between habitual and purchase related conservation behaviours. Energy Policy 2005, 33(11):1425-1444.
3. Benders R.M.J., et al. New approaches for household energy conservation-In search of personal household energy budgets and energy reduction options. Energy Policy 2006, 34:3612-3622.
4. Blumstein C., et al. Overcoming social and institutional barriers to energy conservation. Energy 1980, 5(4):355-371.
5. Breukers, S., et al., 2009. Deliverable 5: Interaction Schemes for Successful Energy Demand Side Management. Building Blocks for a Practicable and Conceptual Framework. Available from: (accessed June 2012). http://www.energychange.info/.
6. Bruel, R., Hoekstra, J., 2005. How to stimulate owner-occupiers to save energy. In: Attali, S., Tillerson, K. (Eds.), ECEEE 2005 Summer Study Proceedings. Energy savings: What Works & Who Delivers? The European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, Stockholm, Sweden, pp. 1197-1205.
7. CBS Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, 2010. Statistisch jaarboek 2010. Available from: (accessed September 2012). http://www.cbs.nl/nl-NL/menu/publicaties/boeken/statistisch-jaarboek/archief/2010/2010-statistisch-jaarboek-2010-pub.htm.
8. CIA, 2012. 'Europe: Netherlands' The World Factbook. Available from (accessed September 2012). https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nl.html.
9. Curtain, J., Maguire, J., 2011. Thinking Deeper: Financing Options for Home Retrofit. Available from: (accessed September 2012). http://www.iiea.com/publications/thinking-deeper-financing-options-for-home-retrofit.
10. Dillman D.A., Rosa E.A, Dillman J.J. Lifestyle and home energy conservation in the United States: the poor accept lifestyle cutbacks while the wealthy invest in conservation. J. Economic Psychol. 1983, 3(3-4):299-315.
11. EC European Commission, 2006a. Action Plan for Energy Efficiency: Realising the Potential. European Commission, COM (2006) 545. Available from: (accessed August 2012). http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/energy/energy_efficiency/l27064_en.htm.
12. EC European Commission, 2006b. Directive 2006/32EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2006 on energy end-use efficiency and energy services and repealing Council Directive 93/76/EEC. Available from: (accessed September 2012). http://ec.europa.eu/energy/efficiency/end-use_en.htm.
13. EC European Commission, 2011. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Energy Roadmap 2050. Available from: (accessed August 2012). http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52011PC0885:EN:NOT.
14. Eurostat, 2009. Labour Market Statistics, Available from: (accessed September 2012). http://europa.eu/.
15. Fairey, P., Goldstein, D., 2006. Getting it right matters: why efficiency incentives should be based on performance and not cost. In: Proceedings of 2006 ACEEE Summer Study, Washington DC, 13-18 August 2006, pp. 64-75.
16. Field A. Discovering Statistics Using SPSS 2009, Sage, London. 3rd ed.
17. Frondel, M, Vance, C., 2012. Heterogeneity in the Effect of Home Energy Audits: Theory and Evidence. Ruhr Economic Paper #335. Available from: (accessed June 2012). http://en.rwi-essen.de/publikationen/ruhr-economic-papers/461/.
18. Gates R.W. Investing in energy conservation: are homeowners passing up high yields?. Energy Policy 1983, 11(1):63-71.
19. Gunningham N., Sinclair D. Regulatory pluralism: designing policy mixes for environmental protection. Law and Policy 1999, 21(1):49-76.
20. Hartman R.S. Energy conservation programmes: the analysis and measures of their effects. Energy Policy 1986, 14(4):413-424.
21. Hirst E., Berry L, Soderstrom J. Review of utility home energy audit programs. Energy 1981, 6(7):621-630.
22. Hirst E, Goeltz R. Estimating energy savings due to conservation programmes: the BPA residential weatherization pilot programme. Energy Econ. 1985, 7:20-28.
23. Hood C. The Tools of Government 1983, MacMillan, London.
24. Itard L., Meijer F. Towards a Sustainable Northern European Housing Stock: Figures, Facts and Future 2008, IOS Press, Amsterdam.
25. Jaffe A.B, Stavins R.N. The energy efficiency gap: what does it mean?. Energy Policy 1994, 22(10):804-810.
26. Levine M., et al. Residential and commercial buildings. Climate change 2007: Mitigation. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, U.S. B. Metz (Ed.).
27. Löfström E, Palm J. Visualising household energy use in the interest of developing sustainable energy systems. Housing Studies 2008, 23(6):935-940.
28. Lowe R, Oreszczyn T. Regulatory standards and barriers to improved performance for housing. Energy Policy 2008, 36(12):4475-4481.
29. Maio, J, Zinetti, S., Janssen, R., 2012. Energy Efficiency Policies in Buildings: The use of Financial Instruments at Member State Level. BPIE Report Available from: http://www.bpie.eu.
30. Martinsson J., Lundqvist L.J., Sundström A. Energy saving in Swedish households. The (relative) importance of environmental attitudes. Energy Policy 2011, 39(9):5182-5191.
31. McDougall G.H., Claxton J.D., Ritchie J.R. Residential Home Audits: An Empirical Analysis of the Ener$ave Programme. J. Environ. Syst. 1983, 12:265-278.
32. National Energy Foundation, 2009. Energy Performance Certificates: Seizing the Opportunity Report I. Available from: (accessed September 2012). http://www.nesltd.co.uk/sites/default/files/documents/news/Seizing_The_Opportunity_Marketed_Sales_Dec09.pdf.
33. New Perspectives in association with BMRB International, 2002. Benefits of Energy Advice, Report on a Survey. Available from the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes.
34. Novikova, A., et al., 2011. Information tools for energy demand reduction in existing residential buildings. CPI report. Available from: (accessed June 2012). http://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/.
35. OECD, 2003. Environmentally Sustainable Buildings: Challenges and Policies. Available from: (accessed June 2012). http://www.oecd.org.
36. OECD/IEA, 2010. Energy Efficiency Governance Handbook. Available from: (accessed June 2012). http://www.iea.org.
37. Schleich J. Do energy audits help reduce barriers to energy efficiency? An empirical analysis for Germany. Int. J. Energy Technol. Policy 2004, 2(3):226-239.
38. Stern P.C., et al. The effectiveness of incentives for residential energy conservation. Eval. Rev. 1986, 10:147-176.
39. Stern P.C. What psychology knows about energy conservation. Am. Psychol. 1992, 47(10):1224-1232.
40. Stieß, I., et al., 2010. Handlungsmotive, -hemmnisse und Zielgruppen für eine energetische Gebäudesanierung: Ergebnisse einer standardisierten Befragung von Eigenheimsanieren. Available from: (accessed September 2012). http://www.enef-haus.de/.
41. 2 emissions form energy use in the world's buildings. Build. Res. Info. 2007, 35(4):379-398.
42. Vedung E, van der Doelen F. The sermon: information programs in the public policy process-choice effects and evaluation. Carrots, Sticks and Sermons: Policy Instruments and their Evaluation 1998, 103-128. Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick. M.L. Bemelmans-Videc (Ed.).
43. VEH Vereniging Eigen Huis, 2012. 'Over ons'. (accessed September 2012). http://www.eigenhuis.nl/overons/.
44. VROM Ministerie van Volkshuisvesting, Ruimtelijke Ordening en Milieubeheer and CBS Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, 2009. Het wonen overwogen: De resultanten van het WoonOnderzoek Nederland 2009. Available from: (accessed September 2012). http://www.cbs.nl.
45. Weber L. Viewpoint: some reflections on barriers to the efficient use of energy. Energy Policy 1997, 25(10):833-835.
46. Wirtshafter R.M. Non-participants in utility energy conservation programmes. Energy Policy 1985, 13(2):143-155.
47. Zundel S., Stieß I. Beyond profitability of energy-saving measures-attitudes towards energy saving. J. Consum. Policy 2011, 34(1):91-105.