Smart-metre insights into ecolodge guests’ water and energy behaviours in a field quasi-experiment

This study investigates resource use behaviours in an accommodation setting following multiple pro-environmental requests. When asked to change behaviour across different practices, guests may “satisfice” by choosing the least costly option and compensating elsewhere; a dynamic that risks backfiring. This study reports on a longitudinal and exploratory quasi-experiment at an Australian ecolodge (1,139 guest nights; 456 guest groups), where in-room signage and real-time feedback promoted water and energy conservation. During the intervention period, guests significantly reduced overall water use by 13.8% and hot water use by 31.5%, while the observed 7.3% increase in electricity consumption was not statistically significant. One plausible interpretation, which warrants further testing, is that low-cost actions may create a moral license that justifies inaction elsewhere. We propose that reducing water use represented lower-cost action versus reducing electricity use. The study underscores the importance of measuring unintended outcomes and recommends introducing multiple appeals gradually to examine how guests satisfice across diverse practices in hotel settings.