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Technology vs information to promote conservation: Evidence from water audits

Author

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  • Erik Ansink

    (School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands)

  • Carmine Ornaghi

    (School of Economics, Social and Political Sciences, University of Southampton, UK)

  • Mirco Tonin

    (Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy)

Abstract

We study the impact of audits on water conservation, distinguishing between the information and technological components. We observe water consumption for up to 18 months for 10,000 households in the South East of England who received the visit of a so-called Green Doctor. We find that water-saving devices decrease water consumption by 2-4%, with an effect that is persistent over 18 months. Devices reducing water pressure are particularly effective, while shower timers are ineffective. The information component of the water audit has a large initial impact, but this gradually fades to a drop in consumption of 2% after 12 months. Technology appears to be more cost-effective than information provision and this can help in the design of policy interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Erik Ansink & Carmine Ornaghi & Mirco Tonin, 2021. "Technology vs information to promote conservation: Evidence from water audits," BEMPS - Bozen Economics & Management Paper Series BEMPS80, Faculty of Economics and Management at the Free University of Bozen.
  • Handle: RePEc:bzn:wpaper:bemps80
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    Cited by:

    1. Stefano Clò & Tommaso Reggiani & Sabrina Ruberto, 2023. "Consumption feedback and water saving: An experiment in the metropolitan area of Milan," MUNI ECON Working Papers 2023-02, Masaryk University.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Water audits; Green Doctors; conservation; information; technology;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • H42 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Publicly Provided Private Goods
    • L95 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Gas Utilities; Pipelines; Water Utilities
    • Q25 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Water

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