IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/enreec/v88y2025i6d10.1007_s10640-025-00973-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Switching Off: Energy Saving Goals Outshine Incentives—Evidence from a Field Experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Natalia Borzino

    (ETH Zurich)

  • Benjamin Hiepler

    (Radboud University)

  • Kathrin Schmitt
  • Jan Schmitz

    (Radboud University)

  • Renate Schubert

    (ETH Zurich)

  • Verena Tiefenbeck

    (FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Natalia Borzino & Benjamin Hiepler & Kathrin Schmitt & Jan Schmitz & Renate Schubert & Verena Tiefenbeck, 2025. "Switching Off: Energy Saving Goals Outshine Incentives—Evidence from a Field Experiment," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 88(6), pages 1499-1540, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:88:y:2025:i:6:d:10.1007_s10640-025-00973-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10640-025-00973-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10640-025-00973-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10640-025-00973-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Verena Tiefenbeck & Anselma Wörner & Samuel Schöb & Elgar Fleisch & Thorsten Staake, 2019. "Publisher Correction: Real-time feedback promotes energy conservation in the absence of volunteer selection bias and monetary incentives," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 4(10), pages 891-891, October.
    2. Verena Tiefenbeck & Anselma Wörner & Samuel Schöb & Elgar Fleisch & Thorsten Staake, 2019. "Real-time feedback promotes energy conservation in the absence of volunteer selection bias and monetary incentives," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 35-41, January.
    3. Steve Martin & Nicholas Rivers, 2018. "Information Provision, Market Incentives, and Household Electricity Consumption: Evidence from a Large-Scale Field Deployment," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 5(1), pages 207-231.
    4. Carl Mellström & Magnus Johannesson, 2008. "Crowding Out in Blood Donation: Was Titmuss Right?," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 6(4), pages 845-863, June.
    5. Dora L. Costa & Matthew E. Kahn, 2013. "Energy Conservation “Nudges” And Environmentalist Ideology: Evidence From A Randomized Residential Electricity Field Experiment," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 11(3), pages 680-702, June.
    6. McCalley, L. T. & Midden, Cees J. H., 2002. "Energy conservation through product-integrated feedback: The roles of goal-setting and social orientation," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 23(5), pages 589-603, October.
    7. Myers, Erica & Souza, Mateus, 2020. "Social comparison nudges without monetary incentives: Evidence from home energy reports," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    8. Allcott, Hunt, 2011. "Social norms and energy conservation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(9-10), pages 1082-1095, October.
    9. Greer K. Gosnell & John A. List & Robert D. Metcalfe, 2020. "The Impact of Management Practices on Employee Productivity: A Field Experiment with Airline Captains," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(4), pages 1195-1233.
    10. Richard G. Newell & Juha Siikamäki, 2014. "Nudging Energy Efficiency Behavior: The Role of Information Labels," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(4), pages 555-598.
    11. Andor, Mark A. & Gerster, Andreas & Peters, Jörg & Schmidt, Christoph M., 2020. "Social Norms and Energy Conservation Beyond the US," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    12. Verena Tiefenbeck & Anselma Wörner & Samuel Schöb & Elgar Fleisch & Thorsten Staake, 2019. "Publisher Correction: Real-time feedback promotes energy conservation in the absence of volunteer selection bias and monetary incentives," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 4(4), pages 346-346, April.
    13. Goetz, Alexander & Mayr, Harald & Schubert, Renate, 2024. "One thing leads to another: Evidence on the scope and persistence of behavioral spillovers," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 236(C).
    14. Carroll, James & Lyons, Seán & Denny, Eleanor, 2014. "Reducing household electricity demand through smart metering: The role of improved information about energy saving," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 234-243.
    15. Sebastien Houde & Annika Todd & Anant Sudarshan & June A. Flora & K. Carrie Armel, 2013. "Real-time Feedback and Electricity Consumption: A Field Experiment Assessing the Potential for Savings and Persistence," The Energy Journal, , vol. 34(1), pages 87-102, January.
    16. Sudarshan, Anant, 2017. "Nudges in the marketplace: The response of household electricity consumption to information and monetary incentives," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 320-335.
    17. José A. Pellerano & Michael K. Price & Steven L. Puller & Gonzalo E. Sánchez, 2017. "Do Extrinsic Incentives Undermine Social Norms? Evidence from a Field Experiment in Energy Conservation," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 67(3), pages 413-428, July.
    18. Allcott, Hunt, 2011. "Social norms and energy conservation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(9), pages 1082-1095.
    19. Verena Tiefenbeck & Lorenz Goette & Kathrin Degen & Vojkan Tasic & Elgar Fleisch & Rafael Lalive & Thorsten Staake, 2018. "Overcoming Salience Bias: How Real-Time Feedback Fosters Resource Conservation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(3), pages 1458-1476, March.
    20. Sebastien Houde, Annika Todd, Anant Sudarshan, June A. Flora , and K. Carrie Armel, 2013. "Real-time Feedback and Electricity Consumption: A Field Experiment Assessing the Potential for Savings and Persistence," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 1).
    21. Brülisauer, Marcel & Goette, Lorenz & Jiang, Zhengyi & Schmitz, Jan & Schubert, Renate, 2020. "Appliance-specific feedback and social comparisons: Evidence from a field experiment on energy conservation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Spandagos, Constantine & Baark, Erik & Ng, Tze Ling & Yarime, Masaru, 2021. "Social influence and economic intervention policies to save energy at home: Critical questions for the new decade and evidence from air-condition use," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    2. Andor, Mark A. & Gerster, Andreas & Peters, Jörg & Schmidt, Christoph M., 2020. "Social Norms and Energy Conservation Beyond the US," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    3. Fanghella, Valeria & Ploner, Matteo & Tavoni, Massimo, 2021. "Energy saving in a simulated environment: An online experiment of the interplay between nudges and financial incentives," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    4. Ruokamo, Enni & Meriläinen, Teemu & Karhinen, Santtu & Räihä, Jouni & Suur-Uski, Päivi & Timonen, Leila & Svento, Rauli, 2022. "The effect of information nudges on energy saving: Observations from a randomized field experiment in Finland," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    5. Andreas Gerster & Mark A. Andor & Lorenz Götte, 2020. "Disaggregate Consumption Feedback," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2020_182v2, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany, revised May 2025.
    6. Fang, Ximeng & Goette, Lorenz & Rockenbach, Bettina & Sutter, Matthias & Tiefenbeck, Verena & Schoeb, Samuel & Staake, Thorsten, 2023. "Complementarities in behavioral interventions: Evidence from a field experiment on resource conservation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    7. Ek, Claes & Söderberg, Magnus, 2024. "Norm-based feedback on household waste: Large-scale field experiments in two Swedish municipalities," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 238(C).
    8. Buckley, Penelope, 2020. "Prices, information and nudges for residential electricity conservation: A meta-analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    9. Dominik Bär & Stefan Feuerriegel & Ting Li & Markus Weinmann, 2023. "Message framing to promote solar panels," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    10. Goette, Lorenz & Gerster, Andreas & Andor, Mark, 2020. "Disaggregate Consumption Feedback and Energy Conservation," CEPR Discussion Papers 14954, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    11. Rita Abdel Sater, 2021. "Essays on the application of behavioural insights to environmental policy [Essais sur l’application des connaissances comportementales aux politiques environnementales]," SciencePo Working papers tel-03450909, HAL.
    12. Mark A. Andor & Lorenz Goette & Michael K. Price & Anna Schulze-Tilling & Lukas Tomberg, 2025. "Real-Time Feedback and Social Comparison Reports Impact Resource Use and Welfare: Evidence From a Field Experiment," CRC TR 224 Discussion Paper Series crctr224_2025_651, University of Bonn and University of Mannheim, Germany.
    13. Cardella, Eric & Ewing, Brad & Williams, Ryan Blake, "undated". "Green is Good – The Impact of Information Nudges on the Adoption of Voluntary Green Power Plans," 2018 Annual Meeting, February 2-6, 2018, Jacksonville, Florida 266583, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    14. Fanghella, Valeria & D'Adda, Giovanna & Tavoni, Massimo, 2022. "Evaluating the impact of technological renovation and competition on energy consumption in the workplace," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    15. Schleich, Joachim & Gassmann, Xavier & Faure, Corinne & Meissner, Thomas, 2016. "Making the implicit explicit: A look inside the implicit discount rate," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 321-331.
    16. Bonan, J. & Cattaneo, C. & d’Adda, G. & Galliera, A. & Tavoni, M., 2024. "Widening the scope: The direct and spillover effects of nudging water efficiency in the presence of other behavioral interventions," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    17. Adélaïde Fadhuile & Daniel Llerena & Béatrice Roussillon, 2023. "Intrinsic Motivation to Promote the Development of Renewable Energy : A Field Experiment from Household Demand," Working Papers hal-03977597, HAL.
    18. Ahsanuzzaman, & Eskander, Shaikh & Islam, Asad & Wang, Liang Choon, 2024. "Non-price energy conservation information and household energy consumption in a developing country: Evidence from an RCT," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    19. Hernández, Francisco & Jaime, Marcela & Vásquez, Felipe, 2024. "Nudges versus prices: Lessons and challenges from a water-savings program," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    20. Loureiro, Maria & Labandeira, Xavier, 2019. "Exploring Energy Use in Retail Stores: A Field Experiment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(S1).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General
    • Q40 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - General
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:88:y:2025:i:6:d:10.1007_s10640-025-00973-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.