Motivating Energy Conservation - A Large-Scale Behavioral Study

Prof. Magali Delmas (PI), Prof. William Kaiser (co-PI), Dr. Robert Gilbert, Dr. Miriam Fischlein, Victor Chen
Funded by the NSF Clean Green IGERT and the California Air Resources Board

Omar I. Asensio
How you are doing: January 2012-February 2012

Feedback

ENGAGE is a real-time energy monitoring study at UCLA. It is currently among the largest behavioral studies in energy conservation in the U.S. Residents at UCLAs University Village Apartments are currently having their apartments outtted with a system to measure their electricity usage down to the appliance level. We take a behavioral science approach combined with enabling technology to test the effectiveness of nancial and non-nancial incentives.

ENGAGE Website: Real-Time Energy Feedback down to Appliance-Level

http://engage.environment.ucla.edu

University Village Apartments

The Technology Social Comparisons Public Information
C Survey
Population
Avg Neighbor

Public Status
Efcient Neighbor

Study Population
Treatment + Control groups

Your Usage

University Village
Study Population + Blind Control +Non-participants

Status: Green

Status: Red

Econometric Model

Behavioral Science Messages: Pre-Test

% Agree Health Emissions Financial Trees Saved Developing Country Cars on the Road 0 % Strongly Agree

2x2 Research Design

Top 2 Box 75.0% 65.6% 64.0% 62.5% 54.7% 39.0% Common Good
Health message + Private feedback Health message + Public (status)

PsychologicalWeather Post-treatment Common True effect Household controls controls effect on time trend of treatment controls population

40.6 34.4 45.3 20.3 35.9 28.1 45.3 17.2 29.7 25 28.1 10.9
25 50 75 100

Sample Messages

Financial

Financial message + Private feedback

Financial message + Public (status)

FINANCIAL. "Last month you used 66% more electricity than your efcient neighbors. In one year, this will cost you $34 dollars extra. HEALTH. "Last month you used 66% more electricity than your efcient neighbors. This results in 609 pounds of additional CO2 emissions and air pollution that is known to contribute to health impacts such as childhood asthma."

Private

Public (status)

How can we motivate or nudge people to conserve energy?