The Power of Nudges: Driving Energy Sufficiency in Europe

From security to sufficiency

The European Union, after decades of over-reliance on fossil fuels from Russia, has finally woken up to a stark reality: energy security and resilience are fundamental for our societies to function and prosper. Since 2022, energy security has been high on the political agenda. While the race to diversify and scale up sustainable energy sources has rightly taken centre stage, the first, simplest, and most impactful way to strengthen our security is still too often overlooked: saving energy. Alongside efficiency improvements, energy sufficiency — reducing consumption through changes in lifestyles, behaviours, and collective organisation — must become a cornerstone of this effort. It is by building preparedness — through renewables, efficiency and sufficiency — that Europe can ensure lasting resilience. It is high time for energy sufficiency to get the political attention it deserves.

What sufficiency really means

Energy sufficiency is not about depriving ourselves. It is about consuming less collectively, distributing resources more equitably, and linking these changes to tangible improvements in our daily lives. It is about fairer, healthier, and more resilient societies. But how do we encourage people to embrace sufficiency in practice? This is where behavioural science, and in particular the nudge theory, comes into play.

The power of nudges

The concept of “nudging” was developed by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein in their influential book Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness. It draws on insights from psychology and behavioural economics to guide people toward better choices without restricting their freedom.

Our brains often rely on two modes of thinking: an automatic, intuitive one (fast decisions with little effort) and a slower, more deliberate one (conscious reasoning). Most of our daily decisions are made through the automatic mode — and nudges work precisely because they appeal to this side of human behaviour.

Nudging sufficiency into everyday life

Applied to sustainability, nudges can take many forms. A striking example is the first Nudge Building in Paris, comprising 130 homes, 8,500 m² of living space and 550 m² of local shops. Before construction, the operator carried out an ethnographic study of Parisian households to understand everyday habits and the barriers preventing eco-friendly practices.

From these insights, they designed both shared spaces (terraces, laundry rooms, guest rooms, sports room, greenhouse, library, repair workshop) to encourage resource sharing, and behavioural nudges to simplify sufficiency:

• Reminder stickers in bathrooms encouraging people to turn off taps while brushing teeth.
• Illuminated showerheads that turn red after seven minutes to signal excessive water use.
• Master switches near beds or apartment entrances to cut power to devices left on standby.

These interventions show how sufficiency can be woven into daily life in ways that are intuitive, visible, and socially reinforcing.

Elsewhere, nudges harness behavioural biases:

• Anchoring: using initial pieces of information as a reference point to influence decisions, e.g. suggesting 19°C as the reference for winter heating.
• Salience: highlighting key information to capture attention, e.g. highlighting key messages on energy labels.
• Defaults: propose a default option, e.g. setting printers to double-sided printing.
• Social norms: reminding hotel guests that most others reuse their towels, making them more likely to do the same.
• Reminders: timely alerts that prompt action, such as phone notifications.

These examples show how small, well-designed changes can make sufficiency easier, more intuitive, and more attractive.

Why sufficiency matters

Nudges are not a silver bullet. They complement policies, regulations, and information campaigns. For them to succeed, they must tell a compelling story, build community, and be embedded in a long-term vision.

At its core, sufficiency is about choice, autonomy, and resilience. It can:

• Reduce energy poverty by lowering bills and improving access to essential services.
• Address social inequalities by making mobility and resources more accessible.
• Improve health and living conditions by cutting pollution, noise, and stress.
• Empower citizens through education, repair initiatives, and reuse centres.
• Create collective benefits by strengthening social ties and reducing material needs.

In short: sufficiency is not a sacrifice. Misunderstood by many as austerity, it is truly about smart, fair and collective energy use. Through the scope of sufficiency, the European Union could transform many of today’s challenges into opportunities — building a society that is not only more secure and prepared, but also fairer, healthier and more sustainable.

The Nudge building in Paris was presented during the AREC’s webinar dedicated to shared sufficiency in October 2024. Check out the slides (in French) and the replay.