What diversity of behavior can we observe? Faced with these questions, IRI Energie, expert in the renovation of the heating system and subsidiary of Indépendance Royale, gave the floor to the French [1] to understand their perceptions, their motivations and their fears on a subject, more than ever d news.
Energy and heating: the 3 factors that impact consumption
In France, more than one in five households claim to have suffered from the cold in their home for at least 24 hours in 2022. This figure has only increased in recent years [2]. The reasons mentioned mainly concern the financial cost, which is considered too high, since this represents almost 67% of household energy consumption [3].
The change in attitude of the French also seems to have been influenced by the energy sobriety plan of 2022, supported by political and media discourse (government recommendation to reduce consumption by 10% or to heat to 19 degrees). But if some adhere, others do not listen or consider that the State should act at other levels, and in particular with companies.
This exchange with the French highlights the notable emergence of their ecological sensitivity and its impact on energy consumption.
Controlling your consumption: everyone has their own strategy
The first concrete action is to better control the temperature of the home. The households questioned during the study heat themselves to an average of 19,4 degrees (vs. the 19° recommended by the government), although they claim that the ideal comfort temperature is 20,2 degrees.
The second way to regulate consumption is to develop a series of thermal practices. Thus, the households surveyed put on extra clothes, do not heat certain rooms, modulate the temperatures between rooms, put a hot water bottle in their bed. In addition, some delay the moment of turning on the heating and rely on the sun or the heat from adjoining dwellings to ensure an acceptable temperature.
Finally, some engage in insulation and home improvement work (changing windows, attic insulation, interior wall insulation, changing radiators, changing the heating system).
French people with a lack of information and measurement of the impact of their actions
The study reveals frustration in the face of this energy crisis situation. Some, in fact, cannot carry out the necessary insulation work due to lack of means, ignorance of the financial aid available or because they are unaware of the nature of the work to be carried out.
Finally, the study reveals the difficulty of measuring the concrete results of the efforts made, an observation that could impact the commitment and goodwill of the French people. Moreover, the precise monitoring of energy consumption remains too limited to guide their use in a coherent and conscious manner. With the exception of those who use a specific application, the majority of respondents do not know the hierarchy of workstations and equipment within their home, which does not help to prioritize actions.
If the lack of knowledge of the aid is based on insufficient communication of the support systems referenced on the france-renov.gouv.fr website (My PrimeRenov, The Eco loan at zero rate, The energy saving boost bonus or local aid ), that of the nature of the work to be carried out or the effects of the actions to be taken to control its consumption is more a matter of support from energy professionals. The commitment to a controlled energy transition alongside the French represents the challenge for the entire sector for the coming years!
In conclusion of its study, IRI Energie established 5 profiles of French people according to their relationship to energy:
- The ecological involved: active in the energy transition, it makes eco-responsible choices and seeks to save energy to preserve the environment.
- The pragmatic: favors comfort and is not really interested in ecology. It therefore makes little effort to reduce its energy consumption.
- The constrained: financially limited, he must make trade-offs to manage his energy expenses and is often forced to give up certain things to pay his expenses.
- The torn: divided between ecology and comfort, he seeks to adopt sustainable practices while maintaining a certain level of comfort, with sometimes contradictory results.
- The eco-sensitive: develops a philosophy of life around ecology, but is very careful about their expenses. He inherently lives in an economy of sobriety.
[1] Quantitative survey of 500 people aged over 25 who own their main residence, supplemented by a qualitative approach with a series of interviews.
[2] Barometer of the National Energy Mediator
[3] Ademe