The UK non-domestic sector accounts for 16% of energy use and major cuts are needed to meet a 'net zero' CO2 emissions target by 2050. Policy and research to date have focused on technical potential and there are gaps in understanding social contexts, which are key to energy efficiency improvement. Furthermore, SMEs have been overlooked, despite the need for concerted action here to meet targets. In this study, mixed-method case study research is undertaken with three independent retailers (a butcher, fishmonger and cycle-shop) to explore energy management and energy efficiency adoption. Building on the 4Cs "Concern, Conditions and Capacity within a Community" (4Cs) framework developed by Janda, this study has identified the interrelationships between Cs and explored the underlying factors that appear to be more important in determining responses to energy efficiency opportunities. Reflecting on the 4Cs, improving energy efficiency within this sector is complex, so it is perhaps not surprising that energy efficiency adoption has been low to date. This study highlights the importance of the 'social' within a socio-technical context. Whilst technical conditions are invariably the most important factor in engineering calculations of energy efficiency potential, they appear to be of considerably less importance than social contexts in practice. The findings suggest that a greater focus on social context within a socio-technical frame could help make future policy interventions more effective. Whilst some of these findings may be sector-specific, several are likely to be transferable to other SMEs, retail and hospitality organisations.
