Discussion is growing in Jordan about the importance of conserving energy and reducing electricity costs, both at the household level and for the national economy, yet, despite this growing attention many people remain uncertain about what actions actually make a difference or whether small everyday changes are even worth the effort, and this uncertainty reflects a gap between general awareness and practical application, where the intention to contribute exists but the pathway to action remains unclear.

 

This gap becomes clearer when looking at how energy is actually consumed in daily life, as most usage is shaped by routine habits that pass without much attention, from setting air conditioning at extreme temperatures to leaving lights and devices running, keeping water heaters on for long periods, or relying on short car trips that could be avoided and driving at higher speeds than necessary, these are simple and familiar behaviours that are repeated daily, yet, their cumulative impact on consumption and cost is significant even though each action on its own may seem too small to matter.

 

The difficulty lies not in identifying these behaviours, but in how they are understood, as energy consumption is largely invisible in the moment it occurs, people do not immediately see the cost of a device left on or the effect of temperature settings on overall usage, and without this visibility it becomes difficult to connect actions to outcomes, which weakens motivation and reinforces the perception that individual efforts have limited value.

 

For this reason many awareness efforts struggle to achieve lasting impact, as they continue to rely on general messages that encourage conservation without translating them into clear and relatable actions, and while such messages may raise attention they rarely change behaviour, because they do not address the uncertainty people face when trying to apply them in their daily routines.

 

Experiences from other countries show that people are more likely to change their behaviour when energy use becomes easier to understand and more closely linked to their daily decisions, as simple comparisons between households, timely feedback on consumption, and visible patterns of use help individuals recognize how their habits translate into measurable outcomes, and when this connection becomes clear behavior begins to adjust gradually without the need for strict enforcement.

 

What distinguishes effective awareness campaigns is their ability to move from general advice to practical guidance, by focusing on clear actions that people can immediately recognise such as avoiding extreme air conditioning temperatures, switching off unused devices, managing water heater use, or moderating driving speed, and by showing how these small adjustments translate into real and measurable savings, while reinforcing that such behaviours are already widely practiced and presenting them at moments when people are making decisions about their consumption, turning awareness into something that can be acted upon rather than simply acknowledged.

 

This also highlights the need to move beyond traditional approaches towards more innovative ways of engaging with the public, where awareness becomes more connected to daily experience through clearer information, simple feedback and messages that reflect familiar situations, making it easier for people to understand what to do and why it matters without adding complexity.

 

In the Jordanian context such an approach does not require major structural changes as much as it requires making everyday energy use easier to understand and relate to, when people recognise their own habits and see the effect of small adjustments their behaviour becomes more consistent, and as this understanding spreads it forms a broader pattern that supports both household savings and overall efficiency, where small actions gain meaning through their collective impact and where lasting change begins with clarity rather than instruction.

 

Zaid K. Maaytah – researcher in Economics and Behavioural Policy