Rational or emotional? Failing to attract home owners in Germany to conduct energy-efficient renovation measures from a marketing perspective

Purpose / Context – Energy efficiency measures/ private home-owners/ decision process Methodology / Approach –Explorative research/ qualitative interviews/ content analysis Results – Decisions towards energetic renovation measures can be characterized as a strategic consumer decision rather than the often assumed purely investment decision. Emotionally shaped motives seem to displace rational determinants such as financial savings and amortization. Key Findings / Implications – The argumentation should focus more specifically on the advantages of the measures that are non-financial. This primarily includes the improvement of the indoor climate and the accentuated well-being that goes with it hand in hand. To sustainably activate potential renovators the supply of out-reach consulting through energy advisors and local craftsmen should be enforced. Originality – The study makes an attempt to reconsider the decision-making process from the per-spective of consumer research in order to understand home-owners reluctance to conduct energy efficiency measures to their homes.