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Residential water conservation during drought: Experimental evidence from three behavioral interventions

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  • Jessoe, Katrina
  • Lade, Gabriel E.
  • Loge, Frank
  • Spang, Edward

Abstract

This paper deploys a framed field experiment and uses high-frequency data to evaluate the short- and long-run effects of three behavioral interventions on residential water use during extreme drought. Our study of the effects of Home Water Reports (HWRs) on hourly water use yields three main results. First, even when layered on top of a 25% drought conservation mandate, HWRs led to conservation effects of 4 to 5%. Second, across three variants of HWRs, the profile of water conservation is similar, suggesting that households did not respond to the messaging or recommendations contained in the HWRs. Third, the water conservation effect of all interventions dissipated five months after the intervention ended. In our setting, these behavioral interventions align with utility incentives to achieve immediate but temporary water conservation in response to drought.

Suggested Citation

  • Jessoe, Katrina & Lade, Gabriel E. & Loge, Frank & Spang, Edward, 2021. "Residential water conservation during drought: Experimental evidence from three behavioral interventions," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jeeman:v:110:y:2021:i:c:s0095069621000851
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeem.2021.102519
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    5. Bonan, Jacopo & Cattaneo, Cristina & D'Adda, Giovanna & Galliera, Arianna & Tavoni, Massimo, 2023. "Widening the Scope: The Direct and Spillover Effects of Nudging Water Efficiency in the Presence of Other Behavioral Interventions," RFF Working Paper Series 23-46, Resources for the Future.

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