Social housing associations in the Netherlands have been targeted by the Dutch government to reduce energy use in their stock. Therefore retrofitting is necessary and 70 percent of the tenants have to agree with renovation and the consequential rent increase. As a solution, information can be provided to convince tenants to cooperate. In this research the preferences of social housing tenants in energy efficiency investment are shown by a stated choice experiment. Though energy savings, high emission reduction insulation and displacement of gas are of importance, the renewal of the bathroom, kitchen and toilet is of highest value to the social housing tenant.
Informing tenants based on motives for pro-environmental behavior in this case the hedonic motive (increased comfort) or the gain motive (monetary savings) can affect their preferences in two ways. Information on monetary benefits makes tenants more critical, demanding higher energy savings and accepting renovation less often. Information on increased comfort increases their preference for insulation. Creating renovation packages using four practical renovation strategies and calculating probabilities of choosing to renovate it is shown that 70 percent can be reached, but that information is of influence and the renewal of the bathroom, kitchen and toilet is of high influence.