Impacts of smart meters on losses in electricity distribution, electricity reliability, and household investments in energy efficiency

Last registered on January 23, 2023

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Impacts of smart meters on losses in electricity distribution, electricity reliability, and household investments in energy efficiency
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0010816
Initial registration date
January 22, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
January 23, 2023, 7:23 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
Duke University

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2018-01-01
End date
2022-12-31
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
In collaboration with an electricity utility in the Kyrgyz Republic, we are implementing a randomised study on the impacts of and benefits from smart meter installation amongst residential consumers. Specifically, we are measuring the impacts of household smart meters on electricity utility bill collection, distribution losses (technical and non-technical), and quality of electricity services (power outages and voltage spikes). Most of the existing research on smart meter technologies has focused on their role in implementing time-of-use (and other forms of dynamic) pricing and specifically focused on developed countries.

To carry out this study, we are randomising the roll-out of a new smart meter technology at households in Kyrgyzstan starting in December 2016. By also installing smart meters at neighbourhood transformers, we will measure electricity losses as the differences between the transformer-level measurements of consumption and the aggregated household-level measurements of consumption. In addition, we will conduct household surveys to measure both the short-run and long-run household response to smart meters on outcomes such as electricity consumption, energy efficiency investments, appliance and other asset ownership, and small business activity, amongst others.

By measuring all of the outcomes above, we will identify the channel(s) through which smart meters impact household behaviours (for example, through improved reliability or increased enforcement of bill payment). Utilising data on changes in electricity service reliability and household asset purchases in a discrete-continuous choice model, we can estimate the demand for improvements in electricity reliability.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Meeks, Robyn. 2023. "Impacts of smart meters on losses in electricity distribution, electricity reliability, and household investments in energy efficiency." AEA RCT Registry. January 23. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.10816-1.0
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
In collaboration with an electricity utility, 20 neighborhoods were selected within one city. Each neighborhood receives electricity services via a transformer, the component in the distribution system that converts high-voltage electricity to usable, low-voltage electricity for household use. These 20 transformers, and the approximately 1,600 households that they serve, were randomly assigned to treatment or control
status. At the end of summer 2018, smart meters were installed at all 798 houses in the treatment group. These replaced the houses’ old meters, which did not provide two-way communication with the utility, send alerts of poor service quality events, or automatically shutdown household connections when voltage fluctuates. The control houses, 846 in total, retained their old meters. Electricity prices remained the same across both groups during the study period.
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2018-06-01
Intervention End Date
2020-03-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Electricity service quality, electricity consumption, appliance ownership, energy efficiency investments
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
In collaboration with an electricity utility, 20 neighborhoods were selected within one city. Each neighborhood receives electricity services via a transformer, the component in the distribution system that converts high-voltage electricity to usable, low-voltage electricity for household use. These 20 transformers, and the approximately 1,600 households that they serve, were randomly assigned to treatment or control
status. At the end of summer 2018, smart meters were installed at all 798 houses in the treatment group. These replaced the houses’ old meters, which did not provide two-way communication with the utility, send alerts of poor service quality events, or automatically shutdown household connections when voltage fluctuates. The control houses, 846 in total, retained their old meters. Electricity prices remained the same across both groups during the study period.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Transformers randomized by office computer
Randomization Unit
Transformer
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
20 transformers
Sample size: planned number of observations
1,600 households
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Approximately 800 households per group (800 x 2 groups) = 1,600 households
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Duke University
IRB Approval Date
2017-12-26
IRB Approval Number
2018-0283

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials