The heat is off! The role of technology attributes and individual attitudes in the diffusion of Smart thermostats – findings from a multi-country survey

Smart thermostats may provide up to 10% savings in residential thermal energy use without loss of comfort, yet their diffusion has typically been slow. To better understand adoption these devices, we conducted an online survey with approximately 5,500 respondents from eight European countries that included both a discrete choice experiment (DCE) and stated past smart thermostats. The results obtained by estimating mixed logit models suggest households value heating cost savings, remote temperature control, the display changes consumption, recommendations experts, albeit substantial heterogeneity across countries; comparison, subsidies are positively valued all except for Germany Spain, providers Poland where they negatively valued. Further, findings evidence consumer innovativeness reinforces acceptance technical attributes (heating feedback functionalities, control), privacy concerns reduce stronger environmental identity environmentally related functionalities). binary response generally consistent those DCE.