Double trouble: concurrently targeting water and electricity using normative messages in the Middle East

Ramli, Ukasha and Laffan, Kate ORCID: 0000-0002-3366-7704 (2022) Double trouble: concurrently targeting water and electricity using normative messages in the Middle East. Energy Research and Social Science, 88. ISSN 2214-6296

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Abstract

Personalised normative messages have been shown to be effective at encouraging both electricity and separately water savings. As use of this approach to promote resource savings becomes increasingly widespread, an important question is whether providing such feedback on consumption of the two resources together can yield reductions in both areas. In a field experiment with over 200,000 households in the Middle East, we send households personalised normative messages regarding both their water and electricity consumption on a monthly basis. This intervention saw a statistically significant reduction of around 1.2% for electricity but not for water consumption. Furthermore, we test different ways of concurrently presenting normative messages of both water and energy, including presenting it as a combined eco score. Local treatment effects of these were around 1.2% reduction. Our findings contribute towards nexus thinking around how (not) to concurrently achieve energy and water savings using normative feedback.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/energy-resea...
Additional Information:	© 2022 The Authors
Divisions:	Psychological and Behavioural Science
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
Date Deposited:	09 Feb 2022 15:39
Last Modified:	12 Dec 2024 02:51
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/113699

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