The Role of Technology in Scaling Household Energy Reduction: Lessons from the Swedish Energy Crisis

The 2022 European energy crisis led to significantly increased energy prices in southern Sweden, prompting house-holds to adapt by reducing their energy consumption. In early 2023, we conducted an initial study to explore how households managed energy during the crisis. As prices stabilized, we conducted a follow-up study early 2024 to examine whether households sustained their reduced energy consumption. This study examines the long-term impact of the three identified energy management strategies: (1) behavioral changes where lower cost is prioritized over comfort, (2) acceptance of higher costs for comfort, and (3) digital technologies to reduce consumption while maintaining comfort. Our comparative analysis, based on data from December 2021, 2022, and 2023, shows continued energy reduction across behavioral and technology-driven strategies, with technology-driven strategies slightly outperforming behavioral strategies. Digital technologies, particularly those with automated energy management systems, not only reduced consumption but minimized household effort. This study highlights the potential of digital technologies to support sustainable energy consumption at scale, emphasizing technology-driven energy management as a resilient, scalable approach. By enabling efficient energy usage, these solutions contribute to sustainability goals by reducing the demand for expanded energy production and enhancing energy infrastructure utilization.