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Real-time feedback promotes energy conservation in the absence of volunteer selection bias and monetary incentives

Author

Listed:
  • Verena Tiefenbeck

    (ETH Zurich
    University of Bonn)

  • Anselma Wörner

    (ETH Zurich)

  • Samuel Schöb

    (University of Bamberg)

  • Elgar Fleisch

    (ETH Zurich
    University of St. Gallen)

  • Thorsten Staake

    (University of Bamberg)

Abstract

Feedback interventions have proved to be effective at promoting energy conservation behaviour, and digital technologies have the potential to make interventions more powerful and scalable. In particular, real-time feedback on a specific, energy-intensive activity may induce considerable behaviour change and savings. Yet the majority of feedback studies that report large effects are conducted with opt-in samples of individuals who volunteer to participate. Here we show that real-time feedback on resource consumption during showering induces substantial energy conservation in an uninformed sample of guests at 6 hotels (265 rooms, N = 19,596 observations). The treatment effects are large (11.4% reduction in energy use), indicating that the real-time feedback induced substantial energy conservation among participants who did not opt in, and in a context where participants were not financially responsible for energy costs. We thus provide empirical evidence for real-time feedback as a scalable and cost-efficient policy instrument for fostering resource conservation among the broader public.

Suggested Citation

  • Verena Tiefenbeck & Anselma Wörner & Samuel Schöb & Elgar Fleisch & Thorsten Staake, 2019. "Real-time feedback promotes energy conservation in the absence of volunteer selection bias and monetary incentives," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 35-41, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natene:v:4:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41560-018-0282-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41560-018-0282-1
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Julia Talbot-Jones & Sophie Hale & Suzie Greenhalgh, 2020. "Review of policy instruments for freshwater management Abstract: As pressures on water resources increase in New Zealand, so does the need for alternative policy approaches that can adequately address," Working Papers 20_10, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.
    2. Rita Abdel Sater, 2021. "Essays on the application of behavioural insights to environmental policy [Essais sur l’application des connaissances comportementales aux politiques environnementales]," SciencePo Working papers tel-03450909, HAL.
    3. Chalal, M.L. & Medjdoub, B. & Bezai, N. & Bull, R. & Zune, M., 2022. "Visualisation in energy eco-feedback systems: A systematic review of good practice," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    4. Dominik Bär & Stefan Feuerriegel & Ting Li & Markus Weinmann, 2023. "Message framing to promote solar panels," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    5. Al-Ubaydli, Omar & Cassidy, Alecia & Chatterjee, Anomitro & Khalifa, Ahmed & Price, Michael, 2023. "The power to conserve: a field experiment on electricity use in Qatar," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 121048, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Raman, Gururaghav & Zhao, Bo & Peng, Jimmy Chih-Hsien & Weidlich, Matthias, 2022. "Adaptive incentive-based demand response with distributed non-compliance assessment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 326(C).
    7. Anselma Wörner & Verena Tiefenbeck & Felix Wortmann & Arne Meeuw & Liliane Ableitner & Elgar Fleisch & Inês Azevedo, 2022. "Bidding on a Peer-to-Peer Energy Market: An Exploratory Field Study," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 33(3), pages 794-808, September.
    8. Bonan, J. & Cattaneo, C. & d’Adda, G. & Galliera, A. & Tavoni, M., 2024. "Widening the scope: The direct and spillover effects of nudging water efficiency in the presence of other behavioral interventions," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    9. Andor, Mark Andreas & Götte, Lorenz & Price, Michael Keith & Schulze Tilling, Anna & Tomberg, Lukas, 2023. "Differences in how and why social comparisons and real-time feedback impact resource use: Evidence from a field experiment," Ruhr Economic Papers 1059, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    10. Andreas Gerster & Mark A. Andor & Lorenz Götte, 2020. "Disaggregate Consumption Feedback and Energy Conservation," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2020_182, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    11. Rita Abdel Sater, 2021. "Essays on the application of behavioural insights to environmental policy [Essais sur l’application des connaissances comportementales aux politiques environnementales]," SciencePo Working papers Main tel-03450909, HAL.
    12. 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.
    13. Fang, Ximeng & Goette, Lorenz & Rockenbach, Bettina & Sutter, Matthias & Tiefenbeck, Verena & Schoeb, Samuel & Staake, Thorsten, 2023. "Complementarities in behavioral interventions: Evidence from a field experiment on resource conservation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).

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