Peer Effects in Residential Water Conservation: Evidence from Migration

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bollinger, Bryan; Burkhardt, Jesse; Gillingham, Kenneth T.
• 署名单位: New York University; Colorado State University System; Colorado State University Fort Collins; Yale University
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-ECONOMIC POLICY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7731
• DOI: 10.1257/pol.20180559
• 发表日期: 2020
• 页码: 107-133
• 关键词: social interactions; energy; identification; contagion

摘要

Social interactions are widely understood to influence consumer decisions in many choice settings. This paper identifies causal peer effects in residential water conservation during the summer using variation from movers. We classify high-resolution remote sensing images to provide evidence that conversions of green landscaping to dry landscaping are a primary determinant of the reductions in water consumption. We also find suggestive evidence that without a price signal, peer effects are muted, indicating a possible complementarity between information and prices. These results inform water use policy in many areas of the world threatened by recurring drought conditions.