Remember not to leave it on in an empty room or turn off computer equipment instead of leaving it on standby unnecessarily, use the stairs rather than the elevator systematically, there is no shortage of good habits to adopt in terms of energy efficiency of buildings.
Unlike reflexes which are innate, a habit is an automatism which can be learned.
At the beginning, it is an effort then little by little the effort decreases, the objective being that it becomes acquired and therefore automatic. A process which takes at least 21 days, according to the reference work Psychocybernetics by the American doctor Maxwell Maltz published in 1960: this professional cosmetic surgeon had noticed that his patients took on average 21 days to accept a change in physical appearance, after a nose operation for example:
“All these phenomena observed in most people seem to indicate that we need at least 21 days to make an old mental image disappear and create a new one.”
In his book Making habits, breaking habits (2013) Jeremy Dean analyzes the time needed to form a habit: it takes 21 days for a simple action like drinking 1 glass of water every day after breakfast. But for more complex habits, the adaptation time can last up to 60 days. Because the more you go out of your comfort zone, the more difficult it will be (for example quitting smoking).
What about our energy habits at the office?
At Sobre Energie, we are convinced that energy efficiency in buildings is everyone's business. Our commitment managers are there to support all occupants of a building and help them become energy consumers. There are many obstacles to change (disinterest, lack of motivation, lack of training, visibility of the issues, etc.). Our tools for raising them are fun and varied: eco-friendly actions campaign, challenges between teams, serious games.
As a result, the energy consumption of tertiary buildings can quickly decrease by up to 10% by acting solely on behavior (Source OID, Sustainable Real Estate Observatory).