Consumer Behaviour when Purchasing Household Appliances from the Aspect of Energy Consumption in the Times of Crisis

Abstract

The key to success of producers of energy saving household appliances is in respecting the consumers’ changed way of thinking and behaviour and their individual needs after the times of crisis and recession. Nowadays, consumers have total control over buying household appliances and a far larger choice. Consumers of household appliances, whose consumption was the driving force before the times of crisis and recession, today, when making a decision about buying household appliances take more factors into consideration, which makes their decision far more complex. From the aspect of household appliances consumers changed values and motives, the key trends are: insisting on simplicity, household appliances producers’ social responsibility, ethical business, demand for energy saving products, loyalty etc. With the appearance of energy saving household appliances and appliances that do not pollute the environment the consumers have been questioning their consumer habits and turning towards ‘the green way of life’. The climate changes on the planet have reached a level when every consumer becomes aware of the importance of utilising less harmful energy sources and household appliances that save energy resources. With a short overview of the times of crisis and recession as well as consumer habits in the times of crisis the aim of this paper is to establish motives and attitudes of household appliances consumers and establish the level of awareness of respondents and their perception of energy saving household appliances and appliances that encourage environmental care.