PEAKapp

Last registered on August 10, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
PEAKapp
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0019313
Initial registration date
August 06, 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
August 10, 2026, 3:24 PM EDT

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

Locations

Country
Austria
Region
Upper Austria

Primary Investigator

Name
Rudolf Kapeller
Affiliation
Energieinstitut an der Johannes Kepler Universität Linz
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Johannes Reichl
PI Affiliation
Energieinstitut an der JKU Linz
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PI Name
Andrea Kollmann
PI Affiliation
Energieinstitut an der JKU Linz
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Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2017-04-01
End date
2018-12-31
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
The PEAKapp field trial examined how digital information and short-term price incentives influence household electricity consumption. More than 1,500 households in Upper Austria were randomly assigned to receive a smartphone app with dynamic electricity discounts, the same app without discounts, or no app. The app provided consumption feedback and notified users of temporary discounts during periods of high electricity supply. By combining smart-meter data with app-usage information, the trial assessed households’ engagement with digital energy services, their awareness of price signals, and their ability to adjust electricity demand in response to changing system conditions.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Kapeller, Rudolf, Andrea Kollmann and Johannes Reichl. 2026. "PEAKapp." AEA RCT Registry. August 10. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.19313-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2017-06-01
Intervention End Date
2018-10-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Electricity consumption
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We conduct a randomized field experiment with more than 1,500 households to study how digital information and dynamic electricity price incentives affect household electricity consumption. Participants are assigned to receive a smartphone app with temporary electricity price discounts, the same app without discounts, or no app. Smart-meter consumption data and app-usage data are used to compare electricity demand, engagement, and responses to price signals across the experimental groups.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Households were randomly assigned by computer to one of the experimental groups.
Randomization Unit
The unit of randomization was the individual household. Each participating household was assigned to one experimental group.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
0
Sample size: planned number of observations
Approximately 1,500 households.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Approximately 500 households per arm: no app (control), app without price discounts, and app with dynamic price discounts.
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

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials