Energy Saving in Office Buildings: Are Feedback and Commitment-Making Useful Instruments to Trigger Change?

This study focuses on energy saving in an office environment. We developed and tested an intervention that contained both the administration of feedback as well as commitment-making: two techniques that are often described in the literature as successful, especially when combined. Using a sample of 146 employees, we tested the intervention’s effectiveness for our sample in terms of behavior change. Our results show some effects, but these were irrespective of experimental category. We use this failed experiment to reflect upon critical aspects of the design and implementation of intervention, and provide ideas on how such interventions can be improved.