Nudging Households Towards Energy Efficiency: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment on Price Information and Energy-Saving Tips

Last registered on September 22, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Nudging Households Towards Energy Efficiency: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment on Price Information and Energy-Saving Tips
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016821
Initial registration date
September 19, 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
September 22, 2025, 6:48 AM EDT

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

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Ephrem Andargie Tadesse
Affiliation
Addis Ababa University
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Alemu Mekonnen Getnet
PI Affiliation
Professor, Department of Economics, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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PI Name
Abebe Beyene
PI Affiliation
Lead Researcher, Environment and Climate Research Center, Policy Studies Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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PI Name
Saba Yifredew Getnet
PI Affiliation
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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PI Name
Hailu Elias Koche
PI Affiliation
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-09-24
End date
2026-09-30
Keywords
Behavior, Environment & Energy, Gender, Other
Additional Keywords
Price Reform, RCT
JEL code(s)
Q41, D12, Q48, O13, C93
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial is based on or builds upon one or more prior RCTs.
Abstract
Ethiopia is undergoing major electricity price reforms, raising concerns among households about affordability and consumption. This study will implement a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to examine whether access to information influences household energy use. The households have already been randomly assigned to one of three groups: (i) a control group, (ii) a treatment group receiving information on current and forecasted electricity prices, and (iii) a treatment group receiving both price information and practical energy-saving tips. Monthly electricity consumption will be tracked during the intervention, and a follow-up survey will be conducted 9–10 months after baseline to assess the persistence of impacts. The study design builds on evidence from behavioral interventions in energy markets, extending this literature to a low-income country context where prior evidence is limited. The results will provide timely insights for Ethiopia’s energy sector reforms, with implications for demand management and the design of information-based policies in developing economies. This research is particularly relevant given the ongoing electricity price reform in Ethiopia, offering valuable guidance for energy policy.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Beyene, Abebe et al. 2025. "Nudging Households Towards Energy Efficiency: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment on Price Information and Energy-Saving Tips." AEA RCT Registry. September 22. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16821-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

Sponsors

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2025-09-24
Intervention End Date
2026-06-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Household Monthly Electricity Consumption (kWh)
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Adoption of Energy-Efficient Appliances
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We will implement a three-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) at the household level in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to examine the impact of electricity price information and energy-saving guidance on household consumption behavior. Eligible households with individual electricity meters will be recruited and randomly assigned in equal proportions to one of three groups: (i) a control group, (ii) a treatment group receiving only personalized electricity price information and projected household spending under the new tariff system (T1), and (iii) a treatment group receiving both price information and practical energy-saving tips (T2). Following baseline data collection, intervention materials will be delivered in printed form and reinforced with reminder calls sent to households at regular intervals. Monthly electricity consumption will be tracked using administrative data from the Ethiopian Electric Utility, and a follow-up survey will be conducted 9–10 months after baseline to assess longer-term behavioral and welfare effects.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
The randomization is done in the office by a computer using a reproducible random number generator, ensuring allocation concealment. Households are randomly assigned in equal proportions to one of the three study arms (control, Treatment 1 (T1), Treatment 2 (T2))
Randomization Unit
Household meter level
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Individual-level randomization
Sample size: planned number of observations
We plan to recruit 1,770 households, and accounting for potential attrition, particularly by the second-round survey, we will target a total sample of 1,860 households (1,770 + 90 for attrition).
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
590 households in each treatment arm (590 for control group, 590 for Treatment 1 and 590 for Treatment 2
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
The study is powered at 80% with a significance level of 0.025 (two-sided, Bonferroni-adjusted) and includes a sample of 590 households per arm. The minimum detectable effect size for monthly electricity consumption is approximately 26.85 kWh, corresponding to about 12.96% of the previous study mean (207.21 kWh) with a standard deviation of 149.56 kWh.
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Addis Ababa University, College of Business and Economics, Vice Executive Dean for Research and Engagement Office
IRB Approval Date
2025-06-27
IRB Approval Number
CBE/VEDRE/019 /2017
Analysis Plan