The Association between Energy Saving and Guest Comfort in Selected Guesthouses in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

Abstract

This article presents the association between energy saving in guesthouses and guest comfort. The study was conducted in the Mpumalanga Province, one of the nine provinces of South Africa and a leading tourism destination. The focus was to determine the relationship between energy reduction and its impact on the quality of services in selected guesthouses. This research adopted a multiple case study approach, in which eight guesthouses were selected for in depth study. A questionnaire, observation checklist, energy meters and a lux meter were used for data collection. The results show that the national grid, petroleum, solar and gas were the primary energy sources used in these guesthouses. Solar is emerging as an alternative energy source for water heating; it was also used as a primary energy source for lighting in one of the selected guest houses. Although a positive linear relationship was established between energy saving and guest comfort, the relationship is generally weak in most of the guesthouses. The study could not conclusively determine an association between energy saving and service levels.