Only collaborators may access that link.

Causal evidence on electricity price salience and consumption under dynamic pricing

Last registered on June 15, 2026
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Causal evidence on electricity price salience and consumption under dynamic pricing
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018815
Initial registration date
June 03, 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
June 15, 2026, 5:39 AM EDT

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

Locations

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Enni Ruokamo
Affiliation
Finnish Environment Institute
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Hannu Huuki
PI Affiliation
PI Name
Maria Kopsakangas-Savolainen
PI Affiliation
PI Name
Jouni Räihä
PI Affiliation
PI Name
Santtu Karhinen
PI Affiliation

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2023-01-01
End date
2026-07-31
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
Energy markets have so far struggled to encourage flexible household electricity use, partly due to limited consumer price salience. This study examines whether targeted price information affects consumption timing using a randomized controlled trial in Finland involving 1,500 customers on dynamic pricing contracts. Customers had either a spot price contract with hourly prices linked to day-ahead wholesale market prices or a hybrid contract combining fixed and hourly spot pricing. The treatment group received daily messages highlighting the next day’s demand response potential, including high- and low-price hours and a full listing of hourly prices, over a six-month period. Using the trial data, we test whether enhanced price information increases households’ responsiveness to hourly electricity prices, whether effects differ across contract types, and whether responses vary according to price conditions and household characteristics. To evaluate these questions, we compare the price elasticity of electricity demand between the treatment and control groups.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Huuki, Hannu et al. 2026. "Causal evidence on electricity price salience and consumption under dynamic pricing." AEA RCT Registry. June 15. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18815-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention provided households with daily information about next-day hourly electricity prices. Treatment-group participants received messages highlighting high- and low-price hours, a full schedule of hourly prices, and information on demand response potential from shifting consumption. The intervention was designed to increase the salience of electricity price variation and encourage consumption timing in response to hourly prices. Control-group participants received no additional information beyond standard customer communications.
Intervention Start Date
2023-10-20
Intervention End Date
2024-04-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The alignment of hourly household electricity consumption with hourly electricity prices, measured using hourly smart-meter data and estimated through price elasticity of electricity demand. The primary endpoint is the treatment-induced change in the elasticity of electricity demand with respect to hourly prices.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This study evaluates whether providing households with enhanced electricity price information affects the timing of residential electricity consumption under dynamic pricing contracts. Approximately 1,500 residential electricity customers in Finland were recruited from the customer base of an electricity retailer. Participants held either spot-price contracts, in which electricity prices vary hourly according to wholesale market prices, or hybrid contracts that combine fixed and hourly variable pricing components.

Participants were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group. During the six-month intervention period, households in the treatment group received daily information about the following day’s electricity prices, including the hours with the highest and lowest prices and a summary of potential opportunities for shifting consumption. Households in the control group continued to receive the standard information available to all customers. The study uses hourly smart-meter data to examine whether the intervention affects households’ responses to hourly electricity price variation.
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
1,500
Sample size: planned number of observations
1,500
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
750 households were assigned to the treatment group and 750 households to the control 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
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
Analysis Plan