Social norms and energy conservation
Social norms and energy conservation
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DOI：
10.1016/j.jpubeco.2011.03.003
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发表时间：
2011-10-01
影响因子：
9.8
通讯作者：
Allcott, Hunt
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Allcott, Hunt
本文评估了由一家名为欧保（OPOWER）的公司所开展的一系列项目，这些项目向居民用电用户发送家庭能源报告信件，将他们的用电量与邻居进行比较。利用来自美国各地60万户处理组和对照组家庭的随机自然现场实验数据，我估计该项目平均使能源消耗降低了2.0%。该项目提供了额外的证据，表明非价格干预措施能够大幅且具有成本效益地改变消费者行为：其效果等同于短期电价上涨11%到20%的效果，并且成本效益优于传统的节能项目。也许是因为该处理措施包含了描述性社会规范，其影响是异质的：在预处理消费量最高的十分位数中的家庭用电量减少了6.3%，而最低十分位数的家庭用电量仅减少了0.3%。回归间断点设计表明，不同类别的“指令性规范”在鼓励相对低用量的用户不增加用量方面作用不显著。© 2011爱思唯尔有限公司。保留所有权利。
This paper evaluates a series of programs run by a company called OPOWER to send Home Energy Report letters to residential utility customers comparing their electricity use to that of their neighbors. Using data from randomized natural field experiments at 600,000 treatment and control households across the United States, I estimate that the average program reduces energy consumption by 2.0%. The program provides additional evidence that non-price interventions can substantially and cost effectively change consumer behavior: the effect is equivalent to that of a short-run electricity price increase of 11 to 20%, and the cost effectiveness compares favorably to that of traditional energy conservation programs. Perhaps because the treatment included descriptive social norms, effects are heterogeneous: households in the highest decile of pre-treatment consumption decrease usage by 6.3%, while consumption by the lowest decile decreases by only 0.3%. A regression discontinuity design shows that different categories of "injunctive norms" played an insignificant role in encouraging relatively low users not to increase usage. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.