Encouraging Households to Shift Electricity Consumption Away from Peak Times

Last registered on March 12, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Encouraging Households to Shift Electricity Consumption Away from Peak Times
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018069
Initial registration date
March 10, 2026

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
March 12, 2026, 4:28 AM EDT

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

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Primary Investigator

Name
Jesper Akesson
Affiliation
The Behaviouralist
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Jesper Akesson
PI Affiliation
The Behaviouralist
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-03-16
End date
2026-06-30
Keywords
Behavior, Environment & Energy
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Electricity systems increasingly rely on demand-side flexibility to manage peak demand and integrate renewable energy. Time-of-use (TOU) tariffs provide financial incentives for households to shift electricity consumption away from peak periods, but many consumers do not fully respond to these price signals. This study evaluates whether personalised feedback emails can encourage households on smart TOU tariffs to reduce peak electricity consumption.

Approximately 20,000 residential customers on a smart TOU tariff will be randomly assigned to a treatment group or a control group. Customers in the treatment group will receive three monthly emails containing personalised feedback on their electricity consumption behaviour. Each email informs customers about what proportion of electricity they consumed during peak vs off peak. The emails also explain the benefits of reducing peak consumption (e.g., lower electricity bills, improved grid stability, and reduced environmental outcomes) and provide practical tips for shifting electricity use to off-peak periods. Customers in the control group will receive no email communication during the intervention period.

The primary outcomes are peak electricity consumption and the share of electricity consumption occurring during peak periods. These outcomes will be measured using smart meter data. The trial aims to estimate the causal impact of personalised consumption feedback and behavioural messaging on electricity demand shifting among TOU tariff customers.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Akesson, Jesper and Jesper Akesson. 2026. "Encouraging Households to Shift Electricity Consumption Away from Peak Times." AEA RCT Registry. March 12. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18069-1.0
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
This study evaluates whether personalised feedback emails can encourage residential customers on smart time-of-use (TOU) electricity tariffs to shift electricity consumption away from peak hours. Customers on a smart TOU tariff are randomly assigned to either receive monthly behavioural feedback emails or to a control group receiving no communication.

Treatment emails present a personalised PeakSaver score, defined as the share of a customer’s electricity consumption that occurs during peak hours. The emails explain the benefits of reducing peak usage (e.g. lower electricity bills, improved grid stability, and reduced environmental impact) and provide practical suggestions for shifting consumption to off-peak periods. The intervention consists of three monthly emails delivered over a three-month period.

The primary objective is to estimate whether personalised consumption feedback and behavioural tips reduce peak electricity usage among customers on TOU tariffs.
Intervention Start Date
2026-03-16
Intervention End Date
2026-06-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Electricity consumption
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Peak electricity consumption (5-7pm every day)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Total monthly electricity consumption
Off-peak electricity consumption (all other times except 5-7pm)
Email engagement metrics (open rates and click-through rates, if available)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The study is a randomised controlled trial conducted among customers on a smart time-of-use electricity tariff. Approximately 20,000 eligible customers are randomly assigned to receive either monthly feedback emails containing personalised electricity consumption information or no communication. The intervention runs for three months. Outcomes are measured using smart meter data.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
computer-generated random number assignment
Randomization Unit
Individual residential customer account (household)
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
0
Sample size: planned number of observations
Approximately 20,000 residential customers on smart time-of-use tariffs.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Treatment group: approximately 10,000 customers
Control group (no email communication): approximately 10,000 customers
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
Analysis Plan