Bridging the Intention–Behaviour Gap in Household Energy Saving: A Systematic Review Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour

Household energy use is a major source of carbon emissions, yet residents’ intentions to save energy often fail to translate into action. This systematic review examined how the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) explains household energy saving and what may condition this intention–behaviour gap. Following PRISMA 2020, we searched Web of Science, Scopus and APA PsycInfo and synthesised 89 studies (2009–2025) by vote counting. Attitude was the most consistent predictor of intention (positive in 92.2% of the studies testing this path), followed by perceived behavioural control (80.7%) and subjective norm (70.3%). Personal norm predicted intention in seven of eight studies, supporting integration with the Norm Activation Model. Intention predicted behaviour in 29 of 30 studies, but only moderately (mean β = 0.46 among significant results), and only half of the studies measured behaviour, mostly by self-report. Building on these findings, we propose a conceptual framework in which habit strength is hypothesised to weaken the intention–behaviour link for curtailment behaviours, and facilitating conditions, such as income and infrastructure, to moderate it for investment behaviours. Interventions may therefore need to disrupt energy-intensive habits for everyday saving and remove practical barriers to investment; longitudinal and experimental studies should test these propositions.