Disaggregate Consumption Feedback and Energy Conservation

Last registered on February 26, 2021
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Disaggregate Consumption Feedback and Energy Conservation
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0007248
Initial registration date
February 26, 2021

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
February 26, 2021, 12:55 PM EST

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

Locations

Country
Germany
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Andreas Gerster
Affiliation
University of Mannheim
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Lorenz Götte
PI Affiliation
University of Bonn, National University of Singapore
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Mark Andor
PI Affiliation
RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2016-09-01
End date
2017-12-01
Keywords
Behavior, Environment & Energy
Additional Keywords
Disaggregation, consumption feedback, energy conservation.
JEL code(s)
D12, D83, Q41, Q58
Secondary IDs
Abstract
In this field experiment, we explore the potential of providing appliance-level feedback to correct households' misperceptions of energy intensities. We also develop a framework to investigate the impact of disaggregate feedback on consumer welfare and derive sufficient statistics to quantify it, thus providing a novel tool for regulatory impact analysis. The context of our study is the deployment of advanced metering infrastructure throughout the world, which involves multi-billion investments into so-called smart electricity meters.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Andor, Mark , Andreas Gerster and Lorenz Götte. 2021. "Disaggregate Consumption Feedback and Energy Conservation." AEA RCT Registry. February 26. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.7248-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
We conduct a field experiment and provide electricity use feedback through a smartphone app. Participants in the experimental control group obtain aggregate feedback as traditionally provided by smart metering interventions. Participants in our first treatment group additionally receive information on their appliance-level electricity use. We also implement three further treatment groups that complement appliance-level feedback with incentives to encourage the conservation of energy. Participants in the second treatment group receive a bonus based on their absolute reduction in electricity use for a given appliance. In the third group, we inform participants how their electricity savings compare to the savings of other study households. In the fourth group, participants receive a bonus if their savings are high relative to the savings of others.
Intervention Start Date
2016-12-01
Intervention End Date
2017-06-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Household-level electricity use
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Participants in the experimental control group obtain aggregate feedback as traditionally provided by smart metering interventions. Participants in our first treatment group additionally receive information on their appliance-level electricity use. We also implement three further treatment groups that complement appliance-level feedback with incentives to encourage the conservation of energy. Participants in the second treatment group receive a bonus based on their absolute reduction in electricity use for a given appliance. In the third group, we inform participants how their electricity savings compare to the savings of other study households. In the fourth group, participants receive a bonus if their savings are high relative to the savings of others.
Experimental Design Details
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
800 households
Sample size: planned number of observations
Real-time electricity consumption by 800 households (measured every few seconds)
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
160 experimental control group, 160 for every treatment group (four treatment groups in total)
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?
Yes
Intervention Completion Date
July 01, 2017, 12:00 +00:00
Data Collection Complete
Yes
Data Collection Completion Date
December 01, 2017, 12:00 +00:00
Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization)
700 households
Was attrition correlated with treatment status?
No
Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations
Real-time electricity consumption by 700 households (measured every few seconds)
Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms
Experimental control group: 140 househods, T1: 136 households, T2: 143 households, T3: 143 households, T4: 138 households
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

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Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials