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Reducing household electricity consumption during evening peak demand times: Evidence from a field experiment

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  • Azarova, Valeriya
  • Cohen, Jed J.
  • Kollmann, Andrea
  • Reichl, Johannes

Abstract

Peak demand reduction is a key element in demand management programs targeting the stabilization of the electricity grid. This study examines a field experiment in Austria that investigated rebates and non-monetary incentives to reduce household electricity consumption during evening peak demand times. The experiment was conducted on 1,257 Austrian households using a smart-phone application and smart-meter data recorded in 15-minutes intervals. Our results show the strongest behavioral change in households who received the monetary incentive, with only weak evidence of changes in the non-monetary treatment groups. Households reduced their consumption in response to the monetary incentive but were then subject to a substantial rebound effect whereby their electricity consumption increased overall.

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  • Azarova, Valeriya & Cohen, Jed J. & Kollmann, Andrea & Reichl, Johannes, 2020. "Reducing household electricity consumption during evening peak demand times: Evidence from a field experiment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:144:y:2020:i:c:s0301421520303876
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111657
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    5. Lucas Roth & Jens Lowitzsch & Özgür Yildiz, 2021. "An Empirical Study of How Household Energy Consumption Is Affected by Co-Owning Different Technological Means to Produce Renewable Energy and the Production Purpose," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-38, July.
    6. Adélaïde Fadhuile & Daniel Llerena & Béatrice Roussillon, 2023. "Intrinsic Motivation to Promote the Development of Renewable Energy : A Field Experiment from Household Demand," Working Papers hal-03977597, HAL.
    7. Leandra Scharnhorst & Thorben Sandmeier & Armin Ardone & Wolf Fichtner, 2021. "The Impact of Economic and Non-Economic Incentives to Induce Residential Demand Response—Findings from a Living Lab Experiment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-24, April.
    8. Bradley S. Jorgensen & Sarah Fumei & Graeme Byrne, 2021. "Reducing Peak Energy Demand among Residents Who Are Not Billed for Their Electricity Consumption: Experimental Evaluation of Behaviour Change Interventions in a University Setting," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-16, August.
    9. Koasidis, Konstantinos & Marinakis, Vangelis & Nikas, Alexandros & Chira, Katerina & Flamos, Alexandros & Doukas, Haris, 2022. "Monetising behavioural change as a policy measure to support energy management in the residential sector: A case study in Greece," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).

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