Exploring Intention to Purchase Energy-Efficient Home Appliances: An Extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Introduction

Over the past few decades, energy demand and consumption have rapidly increased due to the destructive changes in the energy industry and service industry and people's lifestyles worldwide (Akroush et al., 2019). Furthermore, irrational consumption behavior and habits have inflicted the environment with a massive deterioration (Bansal & Sharma, 2018), such as climate change and wasted resources (Hua & Wang, 2019; Wang et al., 2019). This has o led to an increased use of sustainable products (Goel et al., 2022). Joshi et al. (2020, p. 40) pointed out that “increasing environmental concerns have resulted in consumers indulging in conserving energy by curtailing energy usage rather than switching to energy efficient practices.” However, the high demand for energy resulting from technologically advanced electrical and electronic appliances has strengthened the importance of energy efficiency to conquer energy deficiency and environmental concerns (Ali et al., 2021).

So, more producers are manufacturing eco-friendly products to tackle the adverse effects, and governments are encouraging residents to use energy-saving products, specifically energy-efficient appliances manufactured to save energy in daily life (Hua & Wang, 2019). Energy-efficient appliances help reduce energy consumption and meet consumers’ utilitarian needs (Fatoki, 2020; Waris & Hameed, 2020a; 2020b). Therefore, household energy conservation is key to reducing emissions (Karlin et al., 2014).

Algeria is one of the world's largest countries producing and exporting energy, as it holds a considerable energy reserve and possesses the tenth-largest gas reserves and the third-largest shale gas reserves globally (Abada & Bouharkat, 2018). It is also a major natural gas-producing country in Africa and the second-largest natural gas exporter to Europe; it is also among the three largest oil producers on the African continent (Anon, 2014). However, fossil fuels remain the primary source of electricity generation and the third-largest CO2 emitter in Africa, which is mainly susceptible to climate change (Bouznit et al., 2020). Therefore, understanding human eco-friendly decisions is pivotal to overcoming global environmental challenges, as influencing behavior makes a significant difference (Klöckner, 2013). In the hope of alleviating global climate change, Algeria is developing a strategy based on combining sustainable development with international climate-related commitments; besides, it is increasingly promoting renewable energy adoption in the electricity sector (Bouznit et al., 2020).

The theory of planned behavior (TPB) is considered one of the most modern utilized theories to predict human behavior. The TPB has proven its robustness in predicting behavior in different spheres, including save energy consumption (Mouloudj et al., 2023). It has also proven its soundness in several contexts, including those in developing countries. The TPB stems from the theory of reasoned action (TRA), which assumes that consumers are rational and employ all available information to assess the potential implications of their actions before making any decisions to perform a particular behavior or not (Ramkissoon & Nunkoo, 2010). According to Ajzen (1991), behavioral intention is a function of three constructs—namely, “attitude toward the behavior, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and subjective norms”—and each predicts behavioral intentions.