Switching Off: Energy Saving Goals Outshine Incentives—Evidence from a Field Experiment
通过新加坡422户家庭的8个月实地实验，发现提供反馈、节能目标和技巧的家庭用电量减少16%，而额外增加金钱或环保捐赠激励并未带来更多节约，低成本行为策略与昂贵激励同样有效。
Abstract Feedback interventions are a promising tool for promoting household energy conservation and addressing climate change. This study examines whether their effectiveness improves with incentivized energy saving goals through a field experiment involving 422 Singaporean households over eight months. All treatment groups received tailored feedback reports, energy saving goals, and tips. Two groups also received additional incentives: monetary rewards or environmental donations. Households receiving only feedback, goals and savings tips reduced electricity use by 16% compared to the control group, but those offered additional monetary or environmental incentives achieved no further savings. Notabl the effects persisted marginally post-intervention in the goal treatment. These results indicate that low-cost behavioral strategies like feedback, savings tips and goal setting can be as effective as costly incentives, providing a scalable and economical pathway for energy conservation initiatives.