Survey on barriers to energy-saving behaviours and thermal comfort in collective heated buildings in France

This dataset was compiled as part of a research project aimed at identifying and understanding the obstacles to energy-saving behaviours and thermal comfort in collective housing in France. The central hypothesis is that in buildings with centralized or collective heating systems, residents face specific technical, informational, and organizational barriers that limit their capacity to manage consumption and achieve thermal comfort. These barriers may, in turn, impact the adoption of energy-efficient practices.

The data was collected through a national online survey administered in winter 2023 to a sample of 403 individuals living in collective housing with shared or centralized heating systems.
The questionnaire was designed to capture both objective and subjective aspects of heating-related experiences, including user practices and perceived difficulties.

The dataset includes:

- Sociodemographic variables (e.g. age, gender, household size, occupancy status, dwelling type),
- Contextual information about the housing and heating system (e.g. heating type, billing method, control options),
- Perceived difficulties related to heating, such as problems anticipating bills, understanding costs, thermal discomfort, or communication with building managers,
- Self-reported behaviours related to heating use and energy saving.

These data allow for the identification of behavioural and experiential profiles, the analysis of links between individual/contextual characteristics and perceived challenges, and an exploration of how technical constraints interact with residential energy behaviours.

The dataset is provided in CSV format and is accompanied by a variable dictionary and the original questionnaire used in the survey. Please note that all accompanying documentation (including the questionnaire) is available in French only, as the study was conducted with French-speaking participants. All responses have been anonymized to ensure participant confidentiality, in accordance with current data protection regulations.