• Publication
• 6th Jul 2011

Behaviour change and energy use: behavioural insights team paper

The behavioural insights team has published a report setting out how we can use behavioural insights to help people save energy and money.

• Report
• 15th Sep 2011

Behavioural Insights Team annual update 2010-11

The Behavioural Insights Team’s Annual Update 2010-11 provides a summary of the Team’s work since it was set up in July 2010.

• Report
• 20th Sep 2012

Behavioural Insights Team’s Annual Update 2011/12

• Blog
• 12th Dec 2012

Reducing disposable shopping bag usage

In her new paper, Tatiana Homonoff from Princeton University shows that small incentives can have a larger effect than the simple cost/benefit calculation would suggest, but how these incentives are framed matters. Her findings accord with the idea of loss aversion – that people value losses more than the equivalent…

• Blog
• 15th Apr 2013

Reducing food waste

The Behavioural Insights Team recently met up with GreeNudge, a Norwegian organisation that researches behavioural approaches to encouraging environmentally friendly choices. Among other things, we discussed their latest study on food waste. GreeNudge conducted randomised controlled trials in hotel restaurants with food buffets. They found that reducing plate size and…

• Blog
• 3rd Sep 2014

The secret cost of laundry

Purchasing a laundry appliance, such as a washing machine, can be a complicated choice involving lots of different factors. However, consumers may be surprised to find out that the cost of using the appliance is not one of the factors often taken into account. Annual energy consumption, which relates to…

• Publication
• 27th Apr 2016

Smart Meters Derogation Guidance: supporting energy supplier applications for trials of in-home display alternatives

Behavioural Insights Team, Madano and DECC co-drafted guidance for energy suppliers who wish to seek a derogation from the requirement to offer domestic consumers an In Home Display (IHD) as part of a smart meter installation, in order to trial alternative In Home Displays (IHDs).

• Report
• 30th Nov 2017

Evaluating the Nest Learning Thermostat

Four field experiments evaluating the energy saving potential of Nest's Smart Heating Control

• Blog
• 22nd Dec 2017

The case for turkey sandwiches, and other food for thought this Christmas

With Christmas around the corner, many of us in the UK find ourselves frantically purchasing vast amounts of food. Turkeys, Christmas puddings, mince pies – all must-haves for Christmas day. Unilever estimated that during Christmas, on average, 263,000 turkeys, 740,000 slices of Christmas pudding and 7.5 million mince pies go…

• Blog
• 10th Sep 2018

How new number plates could green Britain's roads

Yesterday Chris Grayling announced a consultation on green number plates as part of efforts to increase ownership of zero emission vehicles and cut Britain’s carbon emissions. The idea, already implemented in countries like Norway, Canada, and China, would make electric and hydrogen cars much more visible on our roads. We…