Sustainability Following Adversity: Power Outage Experiences Are Related To Greater Energy Saving Intentions In The United Kingdom And Mexico

Concerns about climate change and energy security, and related behaviour may be impacted by experiences such as flooding and power outages and we consider that impacts may be different for individual and social actions. Our first study, using online survey data from a quota sample in the UK (N = 1543) found that concerns about climate change and energy security differed for people who had recent power outage experience compared to those who did not; with small but significant effects. A mediation model analysis found that people who had experienced power outages were more likely to intend to engage in social energy saving behaviours, partially mediated by concerns about climate change and energy security. Our second study used survey data from a convenience sample in Mexico City (N = 661). Here a further mediation analysis indicated that people who had experienced higher levels of power outages or flooding were more likely to intend to engage in social energy saving behaviours. In aggregate no significant impacts of experiences on individual energy saving behaviours were found. We conclude that shared adverse experiences may promote prosocial interactions around environmental issues and that there is a key role for communications around environmental experiences in order to promote sustainable behaviour.