The Control Premium: Behavioral Barriers to Electrification and Demand Response in the Midwest

Efficiency programs are transforming nationwide, shifting efforts towards adoption of high-efficiency electric technologies and grid-interactive programs. However, market adoption remains constrained by both financial costs and less-understood behavioral barriers. This paper posits that the perceived psychological cost of accepting performance risk and ceding control acts as a significant barrier, often overriding a clear financial return.

Using interview and survey insights from field studies and market assessments conducted in recent years, the author, Phylicia Brown, introduces the Control Premium as a conceptual framework for understanding these behavioral barriers.

This paper was presented at the 2026 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings.