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Human practices are at the centre of unsustainable electricity use at the household level, which means behaviour change strategies can form pathways towards electricity conservation. Although behaviour change interventions are useful in promoting electricity savings at the household level, they are rarely inclusive and informed by the users of electricity. Using a field-based experiment, this study examines the impact of co-designed interventions on household electricity consumption among low-income households in Makhanda, South Africa. The results show that co-designed interventions yielded significantly more electricity savings (5%) than prescriptive interventions (2%) over the intervention period. Participant households exposed to the co-designed interventions showed electricity savings of up to 14% post the intervention period, suggestive of positive persistent effects. Household size and employment status had a significant negative effect on electricity consumption while age, employment status, and baseline electricity consumption yielded positive effects. Electricity savings were positively correlated with involvement and trust, perceived behavioural control, and the intention to act pro-environmentally. The results highlight that co-designed interventions can yield significant electricity savings, which can in turn, result in grid stability, and reduced electricity expenditures and carbon emissions. A key contribution of this study lies in advancing our understanding of the effects of user-driven approaches in yielding persistent electricity-saving behaviour, which to date has not been a focus of intervention studies. In particular, the findings lend support to notions of supporting the agency of electricity users in co-developing solutions for local sustainability challenges.

Unsustainable use of electricity has severe implications on the environment and human well-being. With an estimated consumption of about 20% of total global electricity demand, the household sector is a key player in efforts for crafting interventions for reducing electricity consumption. Despite increasing calls for behavioural solutions to electricity conservation at the household level, more attention has been paid to technical than behavioural interventions. Yet a deeper understanding of electricity use behaviour is needed to design interventions and engender integration of behavioural interventions into demand-side management and decision making. Although South Africa is energy insecure and a major greenhouse gas emitter, less attention has been paid to household electricity use using behavioural lenses. Using a scoping review approach, this study inductively reviewed publications to examine the state of research on household electricity use in South Africa, focussing on (1) research trends and contexts, (2) conceptual focus, (3) proposed interventions for reducing electricity consumption and (4) future research needs. Very few publications considered reported and actual electricity use behaviour. Most publications (65%) paid attention to technical dimensions for reducing household electricity consumption such as economic nudges and technical retrofits, rather than behavioural strategies. Of the publications that focussed on behaviour, very few explicitly examined reported electricity use behaviour. Most publications did not consider the role of partnerships in designing interventions for reducing electricity consumption but rather employed individualistic perspectives. Overall, the results suggest that calls for behaviour change research have not been fully heeded. More studies on electricity use behaviour in different contexts, including across an income heterogeneity gradient, and the role of context dependent collective settings in drafting interventions, are required to better inform pathways to sustainable electricity use.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems can provide a clean and sustainable alternative to fossil fuel energy, but the uptake of solar PV systems is often constrained by perceived and actual barriers. Despite South Africa’s very high solar generation potential, solar PV adoption remains low, accounting for less than 10% of the country’s energy mix. Central to renewable energy debates is making sure that the transition is equitable, affordable, and inclusive. Yet, despite high levels of inequality, there is no empirical standing on the factors hindering solar PV adoption among a socially differentiated household gradient. Using household interviews, the study investigated barriers to solar PV adoption across an income gradient in four towns located in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Results showed that significantly more high-income (82%) than low-income (63%) households had considered solar PV adoption, primarily to mitigate power cuts (89%). Both income groups were constrained by financial, institutional, and social barriers, but low-income households were disproportionately affected. While 86% of high-income households cited initial financial constraints, low-income households were nearly twice as likely to worry about high maintenance costs (48% vs. 26%) and system unfamiliarity (36% vs. 14%). High-income respondents were more concerned with institutional and technical barriers, such as a lack of supportive policies and grid-feed difficulties. Nearly all (98%) low-income households lacked knowledge regarding solar PV system capacity, compared to 60% for high-income households. Altogether, the results highlight that heterogeneity matters in our understanding of barriers to solar PV adoption and should be a key consideration in designing differentiated approaches to address barriers and ensure equity in renewable energy adoption.

Households consume up to 20% of overall electricity consumption globally; hence, they are important role players in efforts towards promoting sustainable consumption. Research on electricity use behaviour is important for informing intervention strategies; however, relative to developed countries, research on this subject is lacking in developing countries where electricity access is limited. In South Africa, electricity use behaviour among poor neighbourhoods remains little studied and understood. This study was carried out among low-income households in Makhanda, South Africa, characterised by high poverty and unemployment rates, low education levels, and limited access to basic services. Using a self-reporting approach, electricity use behaviour of low-income households was assessed against a list of common household electricity use actions. A survey of 297 households was conducted. The findings show mixed results, with households reporting both good electricity use behaviour (e.g., cooling down hot food before refrigeration and using washing machines on full load) and wasteful actions (e.g., leaving appliances on standby). Our results show that electricity use behaviour was influenced by socio-psychological values including universalism, benevolence, hedonism, and power. Some of the reported electricity behavioural patterns are consistent with those previously reported among high-income households. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.