Under conditions of ecological modernization, improved eco-efficiency (or, in this case, more specifically energy efficiency) of household appliances has been regarded as an important contribution to more sustainable lifestyles. A point of discussion between radical environmentalists and advocates of ecological modernization might indeed be questions of product improvement and whether the move towards eco-efficient products provides a sufficient answer to the environmental challenge. Will we be able to transform Western lifestyles in a direction of low environmental impact by mainly technological measures? An analysis of Norwegian survey data indicates that the new, energy-efficient cold appliances often do not really replace older products but rather add to the present appliance population. This means that the expected decline in domestic energy use for cooling and freezing is, at best, delayed. Products tend to be used for as long as they work. Thus, the replacement model of economists and engineers fails when confronted with societal practice. Technological improvement might fool the environmentalist, but sociology might fool the technician as well.
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