| 摘要 | ��
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1. Research Purpose
The household energy consumption in Korea has already slightly surpassed that in Japan and is expected to continue its upward trend on a par with the energy consumption in developed countries, such as the US, Germany, France, and the UK, as income increases.
While oil prices have remained high over the years, the advancement of information-oriented and aging society is projected to increase energy consumption, which calls for a very important task to be solved: preparing a policy to promote energy conservation in household sector.
There is also a need to promote energy policies that will prompt the reorganization of the structure of energy supply and demand into a sustainable system, namely, an energy-conservative and greenhouse gas-reducing one, in order to build a structure for coping with climate change.
That requires a study of household energy conservation, an analysis of changes in energy conservation behavior by external stimulation, such as the provision of the related information, and an evaluation of the effect upon energy consumption.
This study, targeting households that use energy, intends to analyze the effect of the provision of information about practical and efficient ways to use energy upon energy consumption and energy conservation behavior.
2. Summary
This study incorporates an analysis of the effect of provision of energy-saving information upon energy consumption and an evaluation of changes in energy conservation consciousness and behavior.
To conduct the said analysis and evaluation required a survey targeting 735 households nationwide. Among them, 684 questionnaires were used in the analysis, excluding those not fully, or improperly, filled out. Regarding information and education groups, in particular, two types of survey were performed before and after providing information on energy conservation. From the result of this empirical analysis, a few conclusions were drawn as follows:
First, measures have to be prepared regarding lifestyle types, including conspicuous consumption with high levels of energy use. The analysis also found it necessary to come up with measures to encourage satisfactory, or non-conspicuous, consumption with low levels of energy conservation consciousness and behavior.
Second, energy conservation consciousness varies depending on age, the occupation of wives, residential area, age, and academic background. In other words, energy conservation consciousness was found higher in male over women, housewives, those with less education than a high school diploma, those living in central area, and those aged 60 or over. Such result implies that more efforts are needed to improve energy conservation consciousness, although energy saving is promoted through the mass media.
Third, while the study results about energy conservation behavior is similar to those about energy conservation consciousness, when the factor 'two-member family' was added, behavior varied depending on gender, occupation of wives, age, academic background, residential area, and family type. In other words, energy conservation behavior was shown better in male than female, housewives, those with less education than a high school diploma, those living in central area, those aged 60 or over, and two-member families. The reason for the lack of energy conservation behavior of those with higher academic achievements calls for the need to consider desirable and detailed solutions.
Fourth, after energy-conservation information was offered, the analysis found that the levels of energy conservation consciousness and behavior were actually improved (general group < information group < education group). This result indicates how effective providing information and reinforcing education about energy conservation have been.
Last, the factor that affects energy conservation behavior turned out to be the one that also affects energy conservation consciousness. After spreading energy-saving information and conducting the related education, a regression analysis of electrical power and gas consumption showed that variables of energy conservation behavior had a significant impact upon power and gas consumption.
Such result suggests that promoting energy conservation consciousness is the most direct solution to save energy. It also implies that the government has to continue to promote energy conservation policies and also encourage energy conservation behavior through improving energy conservation consciousness.
3. Research Results and Policy Suggestions
On the basis of the results of this study, we would like to suggest a few solutions and implications regarding policy-making in order to improve energy conservation consciousness and encourage energy conservation behavior.
First, there should be an action strategy in terms of an energy conservation policy to encourage a desirable energy conservation behavior, which can be carried out through specific and detailed information about energy conservation.
Second, it is very important to establish an action strategy in terms of education to bring about changes in energy conservation consciousness or behavior, in order to redirect the energy consumer's behavior in positive directions, namely, measures to promote a sense of social responsibility of an energy user and their ability to use a variety of information accurately.
The significance of this study lies in its attempt to analyze the effects of energy conservation consciousness and behavior by defining types of household lifestyle and analyze the effects of energy conservation consciousness and behavior for the first time in Korea, in consideration of the given information about household energy conservation. However, there were limitations such as those in an energy consumption survey, or a failure to take into account the heating & cooling degree-days.
Future studies will need to 1) investigate and analyze cycles of selecting highly efficient home appliances in energy conservation consciousness and behavior, 2) carry out an in-depth survey and analysis to come up with the menu of household energy conservation, and 3) conduct analysis and research of the effects of energy consumption by detailed types of lifestyle regarding household energy conservation.
122 pages, 81 refs., 32 tabs., 4 Figs., Language: Korean |
