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Behavioural Insights Projects

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Home Energy Label Design – Study 2

General Information

Project description

The purpose of this study is to better understand Canadian's perceptions, knowledge, and decision-making related to home energy labels. It will build on the findings of an initial survey that explored home energy label design elements and information content, as well as perceptions of the current EnerGuide label for homes. Extending this work, the present study will examine how different rating presentations may affect comprehension of home energy performance and which home energy label design features and information presentations are perceived as most useful or important for decision-making.

Analysis Plan

Pre-analysis plan: Is there a pre-analysis plan associated with this registration?

Yes

Hypothesis

The study aims to answer the following primary research questions:
1) What features of a home energy rating/scale affect people's comprehension of energy performance?
2) What design features and information content affect the perceived utility of a home energy label?

How hypothesis will be tested

Research question 1: mixed between-within subjects online rating comprehension experiment. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of 18 different rating/scale presentation conditions (3 scale type x 3 scale anchors x 2 interpretation). Participants will be shown six different pairs of home energy ratings (3 rating type x 2 magnitude of difference) and will select which of the two homes they think uses less energy.

Research question 2: online discrete choice experiment, with five attributes (reference, consumption information, emissions information, costing information, retrofit information). Participants will be shown ten different pairs (choice sets) of home energy labels and will select from the two options the label that they feel provides the most useful summary of the home's energy performance.

Sample Size. How many observations will be collected or what will determine sample size?

We will collect a sample of approximately 3,000 Canadian homeowners or prospective home buyers, which is nationally representative with quotas for age, gender, and region.

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Canada

Ottawa

Who is behind the project?

Institution: Privy Council Office
Team: Impact and Innovation Unit (IIU)

Project status:

Pre-registration

Methods

Methodology: Experiment, Online Experiment, Survey
Could you self-grade the strength of the evidence generated by this study?: 8
Data collection: Have any data been collected for this project already?: All data have been collected, but no analysis has been performed

What is the project about?

Policy area(s): Energy and Water, Environment, Energy and water saving, Resource efficiency, Sustainable labelling
Topic(s): Consumption- Purchase behaviour, Decision-making

Date published:

12 May 2025

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