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Heterogeneous Preferences and Investments in Energy Saving Measures

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  • Urs Fischbacher
  • Simeon Schudy
  • Sabrina Teyssier

Abstract

We investigate whether risk, time, environmental, and social preferences affect single family homeowners’ investments in energy efficient renovations and energy quality of their house using established experimental measures and questionnaires. We find that homeowners who report to be more risk taking are more likely to have renovated their house. Pro-environmental and future-oriented renovators, i.e. renovators with lower discount factors, live in homes with higher energy efficiency. Controlling for the energy efficiency of houses, we further find that energy consumption as measured by heating and energy costs are lower for future-oriented and pro-environmental individuals. Social preferences measured in a dictator and a generosity game play a mixed role for investments in energy efficiency and energy consumption.

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  • Urs Fischbacher & Simeon Schudy & Sabrina Teyssier, 2015. "Heterogeneous Preferences and Investments in Energy Saving Measures," TWI Research Paper Series 95, Thurgauer Wirtschaftsinstitut, Universität Konstanz.
    • Handle: RePEc:twi:respas:0095
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Risk Preferences; Time Preferences; Environmental Preferences; Social Preferences; Energy Efficiency; Artefactual Field Experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • Q01 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Sustainable Development
    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General

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