Encouraging uptake of Time of Use Tariffs among Irish households

Last registered on July 24, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Encouraging uptake of Time of Use Tariffs among Irish households
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016018
Initial registration date
May 28, 2025

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
May 30, 2025, 10:08 AM EDT

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

Last updated
July 24, 2025, 3:31 AM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

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Primary Investigator

Name
Ondrej Kacha
Affiliation
The Behaviouralist
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Jesper Akesson
PI Affiliation
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PI Name
Robert Metcalfe
PI Affiliation
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-08-10
End date
2026-03-31
Keywords
Behavior, Environment & Energy
Additional Keywords
time of use tariffs, demand flexibility, residential demand response
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Abstract
Countries worldwide are transitioning to renewable energy to meet Net Zero targets, but renewable sources like solar and wind cannot easily adjust to fluctuating energy demands. One way to address this challenge is by encouraging demand flexibility—the ability of consumers to adjust their energy use based on the grid’s needs.

Time-of-use (TOU) tariffs are a key tool for promoting demand flexibility. These tariffs offer lower electricity prices during off-peak hours (when demand is low) and higher prices during peak times (when demand is high), incentivizing consumers to shift their energy use and help balance the grid.

This study has two objectives. First, we will test email campaigns designed to encourage customers of an Irish utility to sign up for a TOU tariff. Second, we will assess how enrolling in a TOU tariff affects household energy usage.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Akesson, Jesper, Ondrej Kacha and Robert Metcalfe. 2025. "Encouraging uptake of Time of Use Tariffs among Irish households." AEA RCT Registry. July 24. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16018-2.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2025-08-10
Intervention End Date
2025-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
1. Time-of-Use tariff sign up
2. Energy consumption
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
We define Time-of-Use tariff sign up as switching from existing tariff to the offered Time-of-Use tariff on the utility provider website.

We define energy consumption as the amount of kWh consumed by households.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We will randomize approximately 75,000 customers into three trial groups (one control and two treatment groups) in partnership with an Irish utility. Customers in the treatment groups will receive emails that promote Time of Use tariffs offered by the utility. Each treatment group will receive different communication that appeals on different motives to switch to a Time of Use tariff. The control group will not receive any communication as part of this trial.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
household
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
75,000 households
Sample size: planned number of observations
75,000 households
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
58,000 households control; 8,500 households per treatment group
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Heartland IRB
IRB Approval Date
2024-08-20
IRB Approval Number
082024-593
Analysis Plan