ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Abstract
This study investigates the preferences of Italian home-owners when choosing to buy wood
for home heating systems. The focus is on understanding the influence of different dimensions
of sustainability on consumer choices. For this purpose, we designed a survey including a
discrete choice experiment and administered it to residents in Italy. Our findings reveal that,
on average, respondents pay particular attention to wood cultivation systems. However, forest
property regime was considered second in terms of importance after wood price. Further analysis
found that our sample presents four clusters of wood consumers. These findings showed
considerable heterogeneity among respondents, the majority of whom considered important
wood cultivation practices and appreciated forest landscape beauties for their decision. Local
origin of wood was considered important by the majority of respondents, even if, surprisingly,
a group of interviewees preferred foreign wood. To achieve better results and effectiveness in
improving sustainable practices of the domestic heating systems, a combination of policies
should be used simultaneously. Our results support the hypothesis that policymakers could
achieve better results in terms of sustainability by applying a combined policy that levers the
importance citizens accord to the different characteristics of wood in home heating systems.
