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Applications of Behavioural Science in the Housing Sector

Dr. Paul Chadwick

Associate Professor and Deputy Director

UCL Centre for Behaviour Change

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@drpaulchadwick

Centre for Behaviour Change

Developing interdisciplinary

thinking and collaboration

Translating academic

expertise to address social

issues and improve human

wellbeing

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This presentation will…

• Consider the potential contributions of behaviour to issues faced in housing

• Describe the Behaviour Change Wheel – a systematic framework for changing behaviour

• Illustrate how the use of behavioural science can be applied to complex policy issues relevant to housing:• Recommendations for the decarbonisation of Welsh housing

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The context

• Welsh Government has declared a stated ambition to ‘bring forward a target for Wales to achieve net zero emissions no later than 2050’

• Tackling climate change offers prospect of real benefits to Welsh citizens: • Cleaner air• Improved health• New economic opportunities from clean energy

• 1.4 million homes in Wales are responsible for 27% of all energy consumed

• 80% of Welsh homes are privately owned

• Requires large-scale adoption of energy-saving retrofit measures required to decarbonise the Welsh housing stock

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Thank-you

Chris JofehChair, Decarbonisation of Homes in Wales Advisory Group

Lisa DobbinsHead of Housing Decarbonisation, Welsh Government

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A ‘wicked’ problem…

Characteristics of ‘wicked’ problems…

• Cross disciplinary boundaries (engineering, psychology, economics)

• Multiple stakeholders and agenda’s

• Complex causality (e.g. ‘solutions often have unintended negative consequences)

• Ideal solution might not actually exist

Technology-centric

approach

Government

IntermediariesConsumers

Meet Carbon Reduction Targets

Run profitably or within budget, in line with objectivesInstall energy-efficient

modifications, and use energy efficiently

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Technocentric approach

Technology-centric

approach

Government

IntermediariesConsumers

Meet Carbon Reduction Targets

Run profitably or within budget, in line with objectives

Install energy-efficient modifications, and use energy

efficiently

@UCLBehaveChange

@drpaulchadwick

Problems with a Technocentric Approach

Technology-centric

approach

Government

IntermediariesConsumers

Meet Carbon Reduction Targets

Run profitably or within budget, in line with objectives

Install energy-efficient modifications, and use energy

efficiently

Tech does not install itself!

Tech does not use itself!

Relying on technology to solve a problem without due consideration of the way people use that technology means that it will always fail to deliver on its promise

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Objective of the project

To create a virtuous chain of influence in which different elements in the housing system interact in mutually reinforcing ways to prompt private homeowners to behave in ways that reduce the energy consumed in their homes.

Behaviour-focused

approach

Government

IntermediariesConsumers

Meet Carbon Reduction Targets

Run profitably or within budget, in line with objectives

Install energy-efficient modifications, and use energy

efficiently

@UCLBehaveChange

@drpaulchadwick

Why focus on behaviour?

Government

Consumers

Supply Chain

Trade Associations

Finance

Behaviour is often the missing piece of the puzzle between policy ambitions and policy

outcomes

Developing policy that reflects how people actually behave rather than how they should

behave is key to ensuring that policy achieves its objectives

“Many policy decisions do not turn out the way they were intended because people do not behaviour in the way that policymakers thought they would or should” Prof. Chris Whitty, Chief Scientific Advisor, Department of Health

@UCLBehaveChange

@drpaulchadwick

Why focus on behaviour?

Government

Consumers

Supply Chain

Trade Associations

Finance

Behaviour is often the missing piece of the puzzle between policy ambitions and policy

outcomes

Developing policy that reflects how people actually behave rather than how they should

behave is key to ensuring that policy achieves its objectives

“Many policy decisions do not turn out the way they were intended because people do not behaviour in the way that policymakers thought they would or should” Prof. Chris Whitty, Chief Scientific Advisor, Department of Health

@UCLBehaveChange

@drpaulchadwick

Aims of the project

• To use tools and frameworks from behavioural science to design a series of recommendations for policy that would create a mutually reinforcing system of influence to encourage large scale adoption of retrofit at the population level

• 3 stages:• Systems mapping; describe the system in order to understand

potential leverage points for retrofit behaviour• Behavioural diagnosis; identify the barriers and facilitators for retrofit

behaviour• Recommendations for intervention; identify how those barriers and

facilitators can be modified at the level of policy

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What people think behavioural science is…

Forgetting to wash

Not knowing how to wash

Nurse

Wash hands with sanitiser

• Science of decision-making, not behaviour

• Locates the issue largely within the psychology of the person, rather than interplay between person and environment

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Reducing bacterial resistance through behaviour change

Cleaner

Fill up sanitiser dispenser

Availability of sanitiser

Lack of timeMultiple

staff off sick

No budget for agency

staff

Need to consider….1. Whose behaviour we need to

change?2. What behaviours are important?3. What are the influences on that

behaviour?4. How do they interact?

Forgetting to wash

Not knowing how to wash

Nurse

Wash hands with sanitiser

Influence

Behaviour

Actor

Key:

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Behavioural Systems Maps: Actors, Behaviours and Influences

• Actors; a person or organisation (e.g. builder, domestic energy advisor, mortgage lender, home owner, government body)

• Behaviour; an action that is directly or indirectly observable (e.g. making a decision to install insulation, programming a boiler, attending a course)

• Influence; something that affects whether a behaviour is likely to happen (e.g. communication skills, awareness of cost-benefits of a decision, motivation, need for space, market or building regulations)

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Systems influences on behaviour

Domestic

Fill up sanitiser dispenser

Availability of sanitiser

Lack of timeMultiple

staff off sick

No budget for agency

staff

Need to consider….1. What are the systems in which the

behaviour is embedded?2. What are the positive feedback

loops?3. What are the negative feedback

loops? Forgetting to wash

Not knowing how to wash

Nurse

Wash hands with sanitiser

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Embedded behaviour and feedback loops

Domestic

Fill up sanitiser dispenser

Availability of sanitiser

Lack of timeMultiple

staff off sick

No budget for agency

staff

Need to consider….1. What are the systems in which the

behaviour is embedded?2. What are the positive feedback

loops?3. What are the negative feedback

loops? Forgetting to wash

Not knowing how to wash

Nurse

Wash hands with sanitiser

Negative Feedback

Loop

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Systems that influence uptake and use of technology or modifications that reduce carbon use

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Influence: Availability of attractive

loans to fund energy efficient home improvements

Influence:Financial Incentives for retail

banks to provide loans for energy efficient home improvements Behaviour:

Merchants to stock products, spares and materials required to

install and maintain them

Behaviour:Recommending an energy

efficient home improvementBehaviour:

Making a decision to make a home improvement that is energy efficient

Behaviour: Applying for a loan to fund an energy efficient improvement

Influence: Financial incentives to stock energy efficient

products

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Participatory Systems Mapping

• Bringing together stakeholders to share and synthesise their understanding of an issue which is visually represented in the form of a map

• Members of the DAG mapped out all the possible actors, behaviours and influences that might affect home owners retrofit behaviour, considering the relationships and feedback loops between them

Decarbonisation of Private

Landlord Housing

Behavioural Systems Map –

Revision 2

Blue = Actors

Green = Behaviours

Red = Influences on behaviour

Box = Potential service / resource

Landlords(Owners)

Tenants(Occupiers)

LocalAuthorities

Local HealthBoard

Localplanning unit

BuildingControllers

Professionaltrade bodies

Professionaldesign bodies

Installers (usuallylocal builders)

WelshGovernment

UKGovernment

Merchants

Retrofitdesigners

DevelopmentBank of Wales

Banks andbuilding societies

Landlordassociations

Rent Smart Wales(Landlord licensing

authority)

Tenantsassociations

EU drivers

EPCAssessors

Technologysuppliers

Lettingsagencies

Establish / reviseenforceable standards

Check appropriatenessand quality of installed

measure

Check plannedmeasures meet

standards

Instruct local planners toset a range of locallyacceptable measures

Set a range of locallyacceptable measures

Provide funding to LA to increasecapacity for enforcement andbudget to support local supply

chain

Inform owner/landlord of theneed to make a change to their

property within a deadline

Inform landlords of currentand future building

regulations / MEES / HHSRS

Licencelandlords

Minimum EngeryEfficiency Standards

(MEES)

Landlord's awareness ofbuilding regulations / MEES

Create resources tosupport decision to install

EE measures

Identify measuresrequired for specific

property

Buildingpassport

Interpret buildingpassport

Submit retrofit plans forplanning permission

Measures includeworkable and buildable

details

Quality ofinstallation

Time-efficiency ofinstallation

Trust ininstaller

Carry outinstallation of

measuresWord ofmouth

Retrofit skills of localinstallation workforce

Commit to carrying outinstallation of measures

Assurance standardswill remain consistent

over time

Provide / finance trainingfor local installation

workforce

Availability of localstock required for

measures

Legislate to ensureWelsh standards are

protected fromchanges by UK

Government

Purchase stockcentrally to supply local

merchants

Central datawarehouse

Identify propertiesrequiring

decarbonisation

Trigger message to ownersthat home improvement is

needed / due

Provide a source oflow-cost finance

Access to grants andloans for homeimprovement

Strong economic case forproviding grants and loans

for home improvement

Ask landlord to makenecessary improvements

to property

Tenant's understandingof the daily running of the

building

Restrictions from tenantson when installation can

be carried out

Tenancycontract

Design strategies forsmall, medium and large

landlords

UKCCCtargets

Design a joined-up andsustained approach to

decarbonisation

Feasibility of aligningWales/UK funding

streams

Embeddecarbonisation in all

areas of work

Strengthenregulations and

laws

Tentant's awareness ofbuilding regulations /

MEES / HHSRS

Get tenant's consent forinstallation / renovations to

be carried out

Respond to request /decide to improve EE of

property

Landlord'sawareness of

decarbonisation

Landord's motivation toimprove EE of property

Social marketing campaignsto increase awareness of

decarbonisation

Educate tenantsabout decarbonisation

Social norms aboutrequesting EEimprovements

Potential rentalsavings from EEimprovements

Contract a localinstaller

Serve HHSRSimprovement notice to

landlord

Invest in relevantretrofit skills

Provide training,education and upskilling

to installers

Release mortgage, loanor grant easily toproperty owner

Range of EEproducts on the

market

Advice portal

Financial incentives tolandlords to improve EE

of property

EPCCertificate

Permission to rentproperty and power to

evict

Assess HHSRS healthstandard of properties in

local area

LA budget andcapacity

Approve plannedmeasures

Speed ofplanning approval

Declare EPC attime of letting

EPC RegisterRent Smart

Wales register

Privately rentedproperties falling below

EPC 'E' rating

Awareness of whetherproperty is legally

lettable

Calculable risk ofdefault among

borrowing landlords

Tenant's abilityto pay rent

Universal Credit orHousing Benefit

Pressure to househomeless people from own

and neighbouring areas

Local HousingAllowance

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Use of the Decarbonisation Systems Maps

The Decarbonisation Advisory Group used the maps to:

• Develop a shared understanding of the problem

• Identify how actors, behaviours and influences in one part of the system had consequences for other parts of the system

• Generate and test hypotheses for how to intervene in the system to create the desired retrofit behaviour

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Behavioural Diagnosis

COM-B: Understanding Influences on

Behaviour

Psychological or physical ability

to enact the behaviour

Reflective and automatic mechanisms

that activate or inhibit behaviour

Physical and social environment

that enables the behaviour

Michie et al (2011) Implementation Science

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Behaviour: Applying for a loan to fund

an energy efficient improvement

Capability• Know that loans exist.• Be able to complete the application

process

Opportunity• Easy and accessible process.• Support for application.• Awareness of social desirability of

seeking funding

Motivation• Awareness of benefits of loan and

that it will be ‘worth it’• Belief that the process is easy and

hassle-free• Makes people feel good!

Behavioural diagnosis of retrofit behaviours

Behaviour Influence

What next?

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The Behaviour Change Wheel

• Systematic literature review identified 19 existing frameworks

• Synthesis into a new framework

• Model of behaviour at the hub of a wheel

• Synthesis of existing frameworks:

• 9 intervention functionseach include one or more behaviour change techniques

• 7 policy categoriesthat could enable or support these interventions to occur

• Systematic method for understanding and changing behaviour

Michie et al (2011) The Behaviour Change Wheel: a new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions, Implementation Science.

Using rules to reduce the opportunity to engage in the

behaviour (or to increase behaviour by reducing

opportunity to engage in competing

behaviours)

Increasing knowledge or understanding

Using communication to induce positive or negative feelings to stimulate action

Creating an expectation of reward

Creating an expectation of punishment or cost

Imparting skills

Increasing means or reducing barriers to

increase capability (beyond education or training) or opportunity

(beyond environmental restructuring)

Provide an example for people to aspire to or emulate

Changing the physical or social context

Intervention functions

Creating an expectation of punishment or cost

Designing and/or controlling the physical or social environment

Creating documents that recommend or mandate practice. This includes all changes to service provision

Using the tax system to reduce or increase the financial cost

Establishing rules or principles of behaviour or practice

Delivering a service

Using print, electronic, telephonic or broadcast media

Policy categories

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Behaviour: Applying for a loan to fund

an energy efficient improvement

Capability• Know that loans exist.• Be able to complete the application

process

Opportunity• Easy and accessible process.• Support for application.• Awareness of social desirability of

seeking funding

Motivation• Awareness of benefits of loan and

that it will be ‘worth it’• Belief that the process is easy and

hassle-free• Makes people feel good!

Designing interventions from behavioural systems maps: Illustration

Behaviour Influence Behaviour Change Interventions

Social marketing campaign to promote awareness of loans for energy efficient home improvements and change social

norms around taking up such loansWelsh Government

Builders and Installers

Be able to communicate persuasively about the benefits of energy saving home improvements and funding mechanisms to support their use

Be able to support people if necessary with the application process

Design systems for applying for funding that are intuitive and easy to use

Retail banks and building societies

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Making Recommendations for Policy

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Why focus on behaviour?

Government

Consumers

Supply Chain

Trade Associations

Finance

Behaviour is often the missing piece of the puzzle between policy ambitions and policy

outcomes

Developing policy that reflects how people actually behave rather than how they should

behave is key to ensuring that policy achieves its objectives

“Many policy decisions do not turn out the way they were intended because people do not behaviour in the way that policymakers thought they would or should” Prof. Chris Whitty, Chief Scientific Advisor, Department of Health

@UCLBehaveChange

@drpaulchadwick

From recommendations to behaviour change

Behaviour: Making an energy efficient

improvement to their home

Capability• How does the policy recommendation support

house owners to know what and how to make the most appropriate energy efficiency improvement to their homes?

Opportunity• How does the policy recommendation

contribute to making it as easy as possible to make these improvements, and create the expectation within the population that this is a socially and morally desirable thing to do?

Motivation• How does the policy recommendation

encourage people to want to make these improvements, believe that it will be worth it, and feel good about it?

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Summary

• One of the first instances of using comprehensive behavioural science frameworks to draft recommendations for government policy• Explicit reformulation of a ‘technical’ issue as a social and psychological problem

• Integrating systems thinking with behavioural theory

• Systematic consideration of the behavioural impact of policy recommendations

• Very ‘rich’ experience with outputs atypical of sector standard

• Potential application to a wide range of issues within housing, not just policy-focussed

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Groundworks UK Warmth Project

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Annual Savings

Actions N. Savings (£)Savings (kg

CO2e)Percentage

agreed

Reducing Dishwasher Cycles per week by 1 81 729 2673 7%

Replacing 1 Bath a week with a Shower 324 1296 6156 29%

Line Dry in Summer, rather than using the Tumble Dryer 366 6588 23424 33%

Replace a Traditional Bulb with an Energy Saving Bulb 403 1209 4433 37%

Reducing Washing Machine Cycles per week by 1 429 2145 6864 39%

Washing up in a Bowl rather than a Flowing Tap 436 13516 58424 40%

Turn my thermostat down 460 39560 162840 42%

Taking 1min off your Shower 566 2830 11320 51%

Only Boiling as much as you need 637 4459 15288 58%

Avoid Standby from Computer Equipment 651 3906 13020 59%

Turning off your Lights 665 5985 20615 60%

Setting Washing Machine at 30 degrees rather than Higher Temperatures 698 4188 13960 63%

TOTAL 5,716 86,411 339,017

Groundworks UK Warmth Project

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Thankyou