Abstract
This study examined the impact of energy-saving awareness on household energy consumption in Japan, using pooled data from the Ministry of the Environment's Household CO₂ Statistics (2020–2022). With Japan’s “Green Growth Strategy” emphasizing the need for public awareness and engagement to achieve carbon neutrality, this research employed both multiple regression analysis and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) to estimate energy-saving effects of various awareness motivations. First, distinct motivations, such as cost-saving, climate change, and peer influence, were analyzed individually, revealing limited energy-saving effects when these motivations existed alone. Second, combinations of these motivations—especially when cost-saving was combined with other motivations—showed significantly amplified impacts on energy savings. Third, this outcome aligned with Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which posits that combining intrinsic (e.g., climate-related) and extrinsic (e.g., economic) motivations fosters stronger, more lasting behavior changes. The findings suggested that awareness-building strategies combining intrinsic and extrinsic motivations were likely more effective for encouraging sustained energy-saving behavior than approaches that rely solely on economic incentives. Furthermore, promoting diverse motivations could enhance household energy-saving behavior, providing valuable insights for energy policy design. This study also demonstrated the potential applicability of PSM as a policy evaluation method for measuring the impact of energy policies.
