Energy Conservation under Repeated Contracts and Contests: Registered Report

We propose a field experiment to evaluate whether performance-based incentives for residential energy conservation are effective when repeated and deployed at scale. The study will compare different incentive mechanisms, including rewards based on achieving electricity reduction targets and rewards based on relative performance compared with peers. We will examine how these approaches perform under different enrollment settings, including voluntary participation and broader household assignment, to assess the role of self-selection. We will also study whether effects change when households experience incentives repeatedly and when programs operate across larger populations with fixed budgets. Households will be randomly assigned to different incentive conditions, including contract-style rewards, contest-style rewards, and a control group without incentives. Using smart meter data, we will measure electricity consumption to evaluate both immediate impacts and longer-term behavioral responses.