The consumption of energy in residential buildings is a major sustainability concern, particularly when users are not held financially accountable for their usage. This paper uses the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to investigate building residents’ attitudes regarding energy use in a university residence in South Africa. To realise this study objective, a quantitative research technique was adopted. The data was collected using a closed-ended survey questionnaire among students living in university residences in the Free State Province. Findings indicate that negative attitudes toward electricity misuse, awareness of efficiency, and recognition of consequences were the strongest predictors of pro-environmental intention. These internally driven attitudes, shaped by both emotional and cognitive factors, were rated higher than external influences. However, low perceived behavioural control and weak social norms limited students’ ability to act, and positive attitudes did not consistently translate into behaviour reflecting the well-documented attitude-behaviour gap. Theoretically, the study extends TPB by focusing on the attitudinal component within a financially detached context. Practically, it provides evidence to inform the design of targeted, context-specific university energy policies and conservation programmes. Limitations include reliance on self-reported data and the single-site focus, which may reduce generalisability. It is recommended that behavioural interventions in student residences combine attitude-strengthening strategies with structural and social support, including value-based messaging, emotional engagement, feedback systems, and peer reinforcement. Policy measures should be evidence-driven, piloted, and tailored to the realities of university housing environments to bridge the gap between intention and action.