Utility consumption pattern among Malaysian electricity users

Abstract

This Study investigates utility consumption pattern among Malaysian electricity users. There are three elements will be investigated which are i) Attitude [Awareness] ii) Environmental concern [self-efficacy/ self-determination, behavior of reference person, psychology factor, economic benefit/socio economic and rule and regulation] iii) Energy consumption [electricity consumption]. The research was conducted in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai branch, Johor Bharu, and the respondents in this study were staffs and students at Faculty of Engineering (FKE). A total of 218 questionnaires collected out of 387 questionnaires distributed, indicating 56.33% of return. The method applied in the study includes T-test, simple regression and hierarchical regression (test mediation effects). There are four main results in this study. First, the T-test shows there is significant different energy attitude and awareness among staffs and students. Second, Regression analysis shows, staffs only rank economic benefit as their environmental concern toward energy consumption whereas student rank self-efficacy as their higher environmental concern followed by economic benefit and rule and regulation. Third, regression analysis shows environmental concern does have relationship with energy consumption. Last but not least, the mediation effect shows awareness and energy consumption is mediated by environmental concern.