Energy saving and the use of “green” bank products: the views of the citizens

• Published in: Management of environmental quality Vol. 28; no. 5; pp. 745 - 768
• Main Authors: Manolas, Evangelos, Tsantopoulos, Georgios, Dimoudi, Kyriaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Publishing Limited 14.08.2017; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Air conditioners; Air conditioning; Attitudes; Behavior; Building envelopes; Claiming; Climate change; Cognitive ability; Data processing; Economic crisis; Economic development; Effectiveness; Emission standards; Emissions; Energy; Energy conservation; Energy consumption; Energy efficiency; Energy management; Environmental impact; Environmental policy; Environmental protection; Environmental quality; Fossil fuels; Green buildings; Greenhouse gases; Influence; Power efficiency; Public opinion; Quality of life; Studies; Climate change; Behaviour; Energy saving; “Green” bank products; Buildings
• ISSN: 1477-7835; 1758-6119
• DOI: 10.1108/MEQ-05-2016-0042

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline the views of citizens on issues related to energy saving and the realization of bank products in buildings under renovation such as energy saving interventions in the building envelope, installment of maximum efficiency air-conditioning systems, etc. Design/methodology/approach The collection of data was done through a structured questionnaire. The data are important because they show the attitudes of citizens while they simultaneously assess the effectiveness of the program after the application for many years of the energy saving program by the state. Findings The results of the research show that with regard to responsible actions by citizens as far as impacts on climate change are concerned, cognitive factors are more important than behavioral factors. The most important reason with regard to citizens restricting the consumption of electrical energy is saving money. Finally, the vast majority of citizens declare that they know about the existence of “green” bank financial programs and claim that these contribute to environmental protection. Despite all this, a very small percentage of citizens have realized some sort of financial program in order to save energy claiming that the main reason for their choice was the country’s economic crisis. Originality/value This investigation of the views of citizens may constitute a tool both for designing of effective environmental policy but also for the assessment of energy saving programs such as the one discussed in this paper.