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Paternalism and Energy Efficiency: An Overview

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  • Hunt Allcott

Abstract

This review paper provides an overview of the application of behavioral public economics to energy efficiency. I document policymakers' arguments for “paternalistic” energy efficiency policies, formalize with a simple model of misoptimizing consumers, review and critique empirical evidence, and suggest future research directions. While empirical results suggest that policies to address imperfect information and internalities may increase welfare in some cases, some existing policies may be mistargeted or miscalibrated.

Suggested Citation

  • Hunt Allcott, 2014. "Paternalism and Energy Efficiency: An Overview," NBER Working Papers 20363, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:20363
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    Cited by:

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    2. Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet & Sébastien Houde, 2015. "Double Moral Hazard and the Energy Efficiency Gap," Working Papers hal-01260907, HAL.
    3. Louis-Gaëtan Giraudet & S. Houde, 2013. "Double moral hazard and the energy efficiency gap," Post-Print hal-00799725, HAL.
    4. Widha Kusumaningdyah & Tetsuo Tezuka & Benjamin C. McLellan, 2021. "Investigating Preconditions for Sustainable Renewable Energy Product–Service Systems in Retail Electricity Markets," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-21, March.
    5. Broberg, Thomas & Kažukauskas, Andrius, 2021. "Information policies and biased cost perceptions - The case of Swedish residential energy consumption," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    6. Kniesner, Thomas J. & Rustamov, Galib, 2018. "Differential and Distributional Effects of Energy Efficiency Surveys: Evidence from Electricity Consumption," Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(3), pages 375-406, October.
    7. Quinn Keefer & Galib Rustamov, 2018. "Limited attention in residential energy markets: a regression discontinuity approach," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 55(3), pages 993-1017, November.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation
    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities
    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy

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