Effects of monetary rebates, feedback, and information on residential electricity conservation.

Assigned 129 participant households in Texas during the summer to 1 of 5 experimental conditions: A high monetary rebate condition in which Ss received conservation information, weekly written feedback on their electricity use, and monetary rebates amounting to a 240% price change in electricity; a low monetary rebate condition with the same structure as the high rebates except payments amounted to a 50% price change; a weekly feedback condition in which Ss also received information but no rebates; an information condition; and a control condition. The dependent measure was percentage reduction in electricity use based on actual weekly meter readings by the research staff. Only the high rebate condition significantly curtailed electricity use by about 12% over the course of the study. Elasticity estimates suggested limited responsiveness in electricity consumption to price changes. Questionnaire data showed a pattern in which actual reduction in electricity was associated with planning a conservation program, attending to feedback, and modifying air conditioning use. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)