One thing leads to another: Evidence on the scope and persistence of behavioral spillovers

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Goetz, Alexander; Mayr, Harald; Schubert, Renate
• 署名单位: Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Domain; ETH Zurich; Swiss National Bank (SNB); University of Zurich
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2024.105166
• 发表日期: 2024
• 关键词: Behavioral spillover; randomized controlled trial; Water consumption; Energy consumption; welfare

摘要

Evaluations of economic interventions usually focus on one target behavior. This study extends the evaluation scope to multiple untargeted behaviors. We evaluate a hot water saving intervention in a natural field experiment. Despite an exclusive focus on hot water, the intervention changes multiple behaviors. Notably, we find a 5.6 percent reduction in room heating energy consumption that persists one year after the intervention. We show that the room heating spillover has important welfare implications.