Segmenting Florida residential irrigation users by utility-bill “botheredness” and household budgetary constraints

ABSTRACT

Homeowners typically and incorrectly exclude irrigation costs when considering utility bills. This research identified residents who are: responsible for operating irrigation systems, and highly bothered by their utility bill; the rationale is they will be most receptive to behavior change. Decision-Ade™, a segmentation strategy based on two multi-item variables: utility-bill “botheredness” (UBB) and household budgetary constraints (HBCs), was used to explore three UBB Segments. Average monthly water bills were analyzed for each respondent in the highest UBB Segment (the Bothereds), and Decision-Ade™ was used to segment along the HBC dimension, verifying that the Bothereds were not most bothered strictly because they are most financially constrained. HBCs were compared to respondents’ household income to observe how the two variables are related. The Bothereds had members that also happened to be in all ranges of HBCs. Though 60% of the Bothereds also were in the highest HBC Segment, 40% of them were in the lower two. About 60% of the Bothereds will likely be most receptive to changes focused on water-use practices rather than products as long as they remain financially constrained; however, about 40% of them might be more capable of incorporating product upgrades because of their financial situation and high level of motivation.

KEYWORDS:

• Behavior change
• irrigation
• landscape water conservation
• segmentation strategy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Though we are aware that some, if not many, residents irrigate manually with water hoses, our study is focused on those who might be subjected to the mandates of homeowner covenants and restrictions, requiring them to have homes built with irrigation systems installed.

2. The three constructs are proposed for this study’s model but not operationalized or tested because this exploratory phase focuses on relationships between (1) UBB and Annual Income, and (2) HBCs and Bothereds’ demographics.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Randall A. Cantrell

Dr. Randall A. Cantrell is a researcher and educator whose broad goal is to demonstrate the importance of linkages between the family, home, and community. He does so by focusing on: (1) how homeowners make home-upgrade decisions (view the Decision-Ade™ video); (2) building capacity within communities so they can function more effectively; and (3) adapting homes for aging-in-place. His diversified background enables him to approach issues from perspectives of engineering, economics, community development, marketing research, and housing research. Dr. Cantrell is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who taught high school mathematics via the French Language in Niger, West Africa, while also serving as a well-driller and instructor.

Laura A. Warner

Dr. Laura Warner supports the mission of the University of Florida by developing strategies for creating and measuring behavior change at all stages from program planning through evaluation and accountability, and most specifically with landscape water conservation programs. She provides leadership, conducts professional development, and creates resources to enhance program delivery and evaluation competencies among Extension professionals and outreach educators. Dr. Warner’s research explores factors that influence behavior change among clientele that participate in Extension activities with a focus on sustainable natural resource management.

Alexa Lamm

Dr. Alexa Lamm is a researcher and educator who focuses on understanding how people make decisions about issues facing the agricultural and natural resource industry. Her research focuses on understanding the role of individual and collective cognition, opinion leadership, and educational initiatives on the decision-making process. She educates on creating collective vision and building consensus around contentious issues to drive the development of informed policy, most specifically in the area of water resource management.

Joy Rumble

Dr. Joy Rumble conducts research and outreach on public opinion and understanding of agricultural and natural resource issues. Specifically, she focuses on the influence of communication on public understanding and opinion formation. She conducts educational and outreach initiatives on effective communication strategies for agricultural and natural resource issues.