Moving house, changing habits? Comparing household electricity usage and driving distances before and after residential relocation in Norway

Residential relocation has been proposed as an opportunity to disrupt established routines and encourage sustainable energy and travel behaviours. Designing effective policies requires understanding whether energy and travel behaviours respond similarly to relocation, whether behavioural changes persist over time, and to what extent pre-existing habits constrain adaptation. This study followed 267 movers in Trondheim, Norway, for one year. Using path analysis, we examined how changes in the built environment, habit strength, and perceived capabilities influenced electricity use and driving distances at three, six and twelve months post-move. The results reveal both similarities and domain-specific differences. In both domains, changes in the built environment initially influenced behaviour through the mediating role of perceived capability for pro-environmental action. This indicates a short-term window in which residents are more receptive to information and deliberative decision-making. However, while relocation disrupted energy-related habits, car-use habits remained largely intact, potentially due to the predominantly intra-regional nature of the relocations studied. Changes in electricity consumption were primarily driven by dwelling size, highlighting the importance of housing characteristics for long-term energy demand. A temporary increase in the mediating role of perceived control over energy use suggests that energy-saving interventions may be most effective shortly after relocation. In contrast, reductions in driving distances were modest and short-lived, even after relocations to central, accessible areas. Strong pre-existing car-use habits limited behavioural change and appeared to constrain residential choices. Policies aimed at reducing car use should target the residential decision-making process before relocation, rather than relying solely on post-move campaigns.