The role of human influences on adoption and rejection of energy technology: A systematised critical review of the literature on household energy transitions

This review advances energy sector understanding of consumer behaviour by synthesising existing research findings into a simple and accessible framework of influences on household adoption and rejection of energy technology. This understanding is crucial for energy transitions dependent on households using technology to support the energy system. A sample of energy research studies conducted in OECD countries and sourced using a systematised literature search identifies a broad range of influences on household adoption and rejection of energy technologies. Thematic analysis organises these influences into a simple and accessible framework comprising five psychosocial categories: cognitive; social; affective; behavioural; and contextual. This contrasts starkly with the one-dimensional consumer archetypes found to dominate energy sector thinking on household energy transitions, which lack any behavioural realism. Applying this framework identifies affective influences – uncertainty, control, trust – as a key difference between findings for rejection rather than adoption, and innovative rather than established technologies. Key differences are also observed in studies comparing early adopters and mainstream consumers, whose participation in the future energy system is crucial. A novel meta-regression application demonstrates the potential for this new framework to improve the behavioural realism of future energy transitions work by energy researchers, practitioners and policymakers. The results of this review have three main implications. 1. Using the framework to broaden the range of influences on household decisions will improve energy sector's ability to engage households in energy transitions. 2. Understanding mainstream consumer rejection of innovative technologies is key to accelerating household participation in energy systems. 3. A concerted effort is needed to engage households excluded from energy transition benefits by market-based approaches.