Unraveling household energy service relevant resilience behaviors for natural disasters: Perspective of extended protection motivation theory

Abstract

Households need to implement preventive measures to prepare for increasing natural disasters, yet research on investigating and explaining energy-related resilience behaviors remains limited. This survey-based study examines household intentions toward energy resilience behaviors: (1) proactive measures, including structural (e.g., upgrading homes/appliances) and emergency actions (e.g., securing backup energy), and (2) reactive (avoidance) measures, i.e., reducing energy use during disasters. Using an extended Protection Motivation Theory framework and structural equation modeling, this paper reveals that households have lower intentions toward proactive measures than reactive measures. Threat appraisal (i.e., perceived severity and vulnerability) significantly increases behavioral intentions, while perceived cost or discomfort consistently reduces them. In contrast, response efficacy, defined as perceived effectiveness of actions, only significantly influences reactive measures. More importantly, self-efficacy, as the perceived ability to perform preventive behaviors, is the key determinant of proactive actions (β = 0.39 or 0.62), while energy-saving knowledge predominantly drives reactive behaviors (β = 0.39). Furthermore, response knowledge, reinforced by external support, enhances behavioral intentions both directly and indirectly by strengthening self-efficacy. These findings underscore improving knowledge of resilience behaviors and expanding social support to enhance household preparedness and maintain essential energy services during disasters.