An extension of the theory of planned behavior to understand factors influencing Pakistani households’ energy-saving intentions and behavior: a mediated–moderated model

This study aims to explore the factors influencing households’ intentions and actual behavior in relation to saving energy. This study is based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), extending it by adding descriptive norms and moral responsibility. An online survey was administered to collect data from randomly selected households and data analysis was run using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The research findings reveal the positive and significant effect of TPB factors (attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control) and the extended factors (descriptive norms and moral responsibility) on households’ intention to save energy, as well as the significant effect of perceived behavior control, moral responsibility, and intention on household’s energy-saving behavior. This study also evidences the significant mediating and moderating role of households’ intention to save energy and moral responsibility. This study’s model explains 70.5% of variations in households’ intention to save energy and 63.1% of variations in households’ energy-saving behavior. In particular, the extended model explains 11.6% more of the variation in households’ intention to save energy compared to the TPB model. This research has several theoretical and practical implications for scholars, environmental protection agencies, and policy-makers.