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Bunching for Free Electricity

Author

Listed:
  • Tosapol Apaitan
  • Thiti Tosborvorn
  • Wichsinee Wibulpolprasert

Abstract

This paper documents the impacts of Thailand's Free Basic Electricity program on electricity consumption behavior. Under the program, households who use less than 50 units are exempt from paying their electricity bill in that month, while households who use more than 50 units have to pay for the full amount. The program thus creates a large notch in the household's budget set. In contrast to existing literature that finds little or no bunching, we observe a distinct bunching of electricity consumption around the threshold. Nonetheless, the excess bunching is still small compared to the overall distribution. We provide possible explanations on the role of various optimization frictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Tosapol Apaitan & Thiti Tosborvorn & Wichsinee Wibulpolprasert, 2020. "Bunching for Free Electricity," PIER Discussion Papers 136, Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:pui:dpaper:136
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    File URL: https://www.pier.or.th/files/dp/pier_dp_136.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. Alberini, Anna & Gans, Will & Velez-Lopez, Daniel, 2011. "Residential Consumption of Gas and Electricity in the U.S.: The Role of Prices and Income," Sustainable Development Papers 99637, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    7. Einav, Liran & Finkelstein, Amy & Schrimpf, Paul, 2017. "Bunching at the kink: Implications for spending responses to health insurance contracts," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 27-40.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Price Elasticity; Bunching; Electricity Consumption; Free Basic Electricity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • L94 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Electric Utilities
    • Q21 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • 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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