A field experiment on subsidies and information to promote air-conditioner cleaning

Subsidies: Households will be provided a subsidy for cleaning their air conditioner.
Information: Households will be given information on the financial and health benefits of cleaning.

T1 Control:
None

T2 Subsidies:
The marketing price for cleaning air-conditioning is CNY 70-80. In this group, I will provide a subsidy of CNY 30/ 40 if households ask for cleaning services.

T3 Information:
Title: Clean Your Air Conditioner for Better Efficiency and Health
Subtitle: What Are the Benefits of Cleaning Your Air Conditioner?
Lower Energy Consumption and Save on Electricity Bills
① Removing dust and dirt from the filter enhances cooling efficiency and reduces energy consumption by approximately 10–20%.
Each household can save an estimated 30 to 60 RMB on electricity bills per month.
② Reduce Breakdowns and Extend the Lifespan of Your AC
Cleaning dirt from the evaporator fins restores heat exchange efficiency, reducing compressor wear and the risk of breakdowns.
Removing dust from electrical components minimizes static buildup, improving the stability and lifespan of the air conditioner.
③ Lower Noise Levels and Improve Indoor Air Quality for Better Health
Removing internal dirt allows for smoother airflow, resulting in less noise and better sleep at night!
It also reduces indoor dust and bacteria, making the air fresher and helping prevent respiratory illnesses.

2025-07-21

2025-08-10

Change in electricity consumption in each treatment group

Each household i will use Yit kwh of electricity in the day t. The prime outcome variable is the electricity consumption, averaged over all households in a treatment group.

Change in fraction of in each treatment group that clean air conditioner

Each user i will make cleaning of their air conditioner (Zi =1) or not (Zi =0) in the experimental period. The secondary outcome variable is the fraction of households that clean air conditioners, averaged over all users in a treatment group.

The experiment assesses the effects of air conditioner cleaning interventions on energy consumption and health. Twenty-five residential communities in Binzhou city are randomly selected and assigned to one of three groups: Control, Subsidy, or Information. The Control group receives no additional intervention. In the Subsidy group, residents are informed through community chat groups about a cleaning subsidy, along with messages highlighting energy savings and health benefits from air conditioner cleaning. These residents can sign up for the cleaning service, which is provided by the power company. The Information group receives intervention messages through offline posters and WeChat groups, informing them about the benefits of cleaning their air conditioners. After the intervention, all participants are surveyed to determine whether they clean their air conditioners, and their daily electricity usage data is collected throughout the experimental period to assess the impact on energy savings and health outcomes.

None.

Cluster Randomization

Residential quarters

Yes

25 residential quarters.

Explanation: For each quarter, there are 300~1500 households.

25 residential quarters (household-day-level data)

T1 Control: 7 quarters
T2 Subsidies: 3 quarters
T3 Information: 15 quarters

There are approximately 1600 households in the subgroup. For a type I error probability of alpha = 0.05 and a power of 1- k = 0.8, and N =1600 per treatment arm, the standardized minimum detectable effect size is 0.1 standard deviations.