Cited by 2,802Pro-Environmental Behavior and AttitudesEnergy, Environment, and Transportation PoliciesExperimental Behavioral Economics Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 98 of the 104 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Social norms and energy conservation

Allcott, Hunt·2011·Journal of Public Economics

DOI 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2011.03.003

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

This paper evaluates a series of programs run by a company called OPOWER to send Home Energy Report letters to residential utility customers comparing their electricity use to that of their neighbors. Using data from randomized natural field experiments at 600,000 treatment and control households across the United States, I estimate that the average program reduces energy consumption by 2.0%. The program provides additional evidence that non-price interventions can substantially and cost effectively change consumer behavior: the effect is equivalent to that of a short-run electricity price increase of 11 to 20%, and the cost effectiveness compares favorably to that of traditional energy conservation programs. Perhaps because the treatment included descriptive social norms, effects are heterogeneous: households in the highest decile of pre-treatment consumption decrease usage by 6.3%, while consumption by the lowest decile decreases by only 0.3%. A regression discontinuity design shows that different categories of “injunctive norms” played an insignificant role in encouraging relatively low users not to increase usage.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2011.03.003

Cites

98 of 99 references verified0 citation errors · 1 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

The Evolution of Cooperation
Axelrod, R., & Hamilton, W. D. (1981) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.7466396 · Cited by 20,065
How Much Should We Trust Differences-in-Differences Estimates?
Bertrand, M., Duflo, E., & Mullainathan, S. (2004) · The Quarterly Journal of Economics · doi:10.1162/003355304772839588 · Cited by 10,641
A Theory of the Allocation of Time
Becker, G. S. (1965) · The Economic Journal · doi:10.2307/2228949 · Cited by 10,354
Estimating causal effects of treatments in randomized and nonrandomized studies
Rubin, D. B. (1974) · Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1037/h0037350 · Cited by 9,436 · cited 2×
“Nearly all are within the confidence intervals of the small sample pilots by Schultz et al. (2007) and Nolan et al.”
Background
A Simple Model of Herd Behavior
Banerjee, A. V. (1992) · The Quarterly Journal of Economics · doi:10.2307/2118364 · Cited by 6,556 · cited 1×
“[15] Banerjee, Abhijit (1992).”
A focus theory of normative conduct: recycling the concept of norms to reduce littering in public places.
Cialdini, R. B., Reno, R. R., & Kallgren, C. A. (1990) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.58.6.1015 · Cited by 5,965 · cited 2×
“[32] Cialdini, Robert, Raymond Reno, and Carl Kallgren (1990).”
Background
Economics and Identity
Akerlof, G., & Kranton, R. (2000) · The Quarterly Journal of Economics · doi:10.1162/003355300554881 · Cited by 5,824 · cited 1×
“[5] Akerlof, George, and Rachel Kranton (2000).”
Recent Developments in the Econometrics of Program Evaluation
Imbens, G. W., & Wooldridge, J. M. (2009) · Journal of Economic Literature · doi:10.1257/jel.47.1.5 · Cited by 4,926
Regression discontinuity designs in economics
Lee, D. S., & Lemieux, T. (2010) · Journal of Economic Literature · doi:10.1257/jel.48.2.281 · Cited by 4,534
Regression discontinuity designs: A guide to practice
Imbens, G. W., & Lemieux, T. (2007) · Journal of Econometrics · doi:10.1016/j.jeconom.2007.05.001 · Cited by 3,701

Show all 104 references

Research works printed but not linked: 2

Friedrich, 2009, Saving Energy Cost-Effectively: A National Review of the Cost of Energy Saved through Utility-Sector Energy Efficiency Programs
Lalonde, 1986, Evaluating the Econometric Evaluations of Training Programs, American Economic Review, 76, 604

Sorted by citations

Items 1,701–1,800 of 2,706

Effect of the COVID-19 vaccine on preventive behaviors: Panel data analysis from JapanPreprint
Yamamura, E., Kosaka, Y., Tsutsui, Y., et al. (2022) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-1625548/v1 · Cited by 4
Pro-environmental Behavior and Actions: Review of the Literature and Agenda for Future ResearchPreprint
Zehui, Z. (2023) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4449998 · Cited by 4
Pro-environmental Behavior and Environmentalist Movements: Evidence from the Identification with Fridays for FuturePreprint
Flörchinger, D., Frondel, M., Sommer, S., et al. (2024) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4785583 · Cited by 3
Nudging and Evidence-Based Policy in Europe: Problems of Normative Legitimacy and EffectivenessPreprint
Quigley, M., & Stokes, E. (2024) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4744107 · Cited by 4
Summary of Utility Studies: Smart Grid Investment Grant Consumer Behavior Study Analysis
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), B., Cappers, P. A., USDOE Office of Science (SC), et al. (2013) · doi:10.2172/1171525 · Cited by 4
“This is more problematic if 16 For example, see Allcott (2011).”
Background
“I See Super-Rich (Versus Poor) People, Therefore I Spend”: Effects of Social Comparison and Donation Mode on Egoistic Spending versus Altruistic Giving
Jin, S. A., Muqaddam, A., & Ryu, E. (2024) · International Journal of Strategic Communication · doi:10.1080/1553118x.2024.2373370 · Cited by 3
“For example, learning that a neighbor is enrolled in an energy-saving program could make an individual more favorable towards energy saving (Allcott, 2011).”
High-frequency analytics and residential water consumption: Estimating heterogeneous effects
Nemati, M., Buck, S. C., & Soldati, H. (2025) · Resource and Energy Economics · doi:10.1016/j.reseneeco.2025.101500 · Cited by 4
The impact of smart meter programmes on household water consumption: evidence from New Zealand
Wang, J., van Zyl, J. E., Wen, L., et al. (2025) · Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics · doi:10.1016/j.socec.2025.102413 · Cited by 3
Promoting willingness to pay for environmental charges in electricity tariff: Evidence from a randomized survey experiment
Lim, S., Choi, S., Hong, J. H., Kim, B., Lee, H., & Shin, J.-W. (2025) · Energy Economics · doi:10.1016/j.eneco.2025.108942 · Cited by 3
Effects of informational nudges in promoting household electricity conservation in Indonesia
Massagony, A., Pandit, R., & White, B. (2025) · Energy Policy · doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2025.114932 · Cited by 3
Examining the co-occurrence of nutritional warning labels and environmental labels on food packages: Effects on consumer perceptions and likelihood of purchase
Mediano, F., Ares, G., Román, C., Carpentier, F. R. D., Galvez, G. M., & Corvalán, C. (2025) · Food Quality and Preference · doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105799 · Cited by 4
Nudging grid-friendly electric vehicle charging: Different shades of social framing and the power of individual factors
Zatsarnaja, J., Reiter, K., Mohnen, A., & Nordfjærn, T. (2025) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108805 · Cited by 3
Driving Mechanism of Pro-Environmental Donation Intentions: An Experimental Study Based on Social Norms and Personal Norms
Zhang, S., & Yan, K. (2025) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su18010268 · Cited by 3
Understanding and reducing the intention–behaviour gap in climate action
Fielding, K. S., & Hornsey, M. J. (2026) · Nature Climate Change · doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02630-z · Cited by 7
“However, positive effects on high energy users can be partially offset by backfire effects among low energy users as people align to the descriptive norm or feel licensed by the feedback to consume more 58,62,63 .”
Occupant plugload management for demand response in commercial buildings: Field experimentation and statistical characterization
Poolla, C., Ishihara, A. K., Liddell, D., Martin, R. A., & Rosenberg, S. (2022) · Sustainable Cities and Society · doi:10.1016/j.scs.2022.103984 · Cited by 3
“Such social comparisons have proven successful in motivating energy reduction among participants [30] [31].”
Background
What Are the Most Effective Neighborhood Ranges for Social Comparison to Improve Water Use Efficiency?
Otaki, Y., Honda, H., & Ueda, K. (2022) · Frontiers in Water · doi:10.3389/frwa.2022.821896 · Cited by 3
“Such emoticons have also been successfully used in behavioral change settings to reduce energy consumption (Schultz et al., 2007; Alcott, 2011), food waste (Nomura et al.”
Method
Pounds That Save: The Role of Preferences for Safety in Demand for Large Vehicles
Scott, J. B. (2022) · The Journal of Law and Economics · doi:10.1086/720344 · Cited by 3
“Therefore, the factors that bias estimates must be correlated with the interaction of vehicle weights and Postcrash. vehicle size by means of social norms (Allcott 2011; Bollinger and Gillingham 2012).”
Background
Individual behavioral theories
Kowalska-Pyzalska, A. (2023) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-822882-1.00010-x · Cited by 3
Is football coming out? Anti-gay attitudes, social desirability, and pluralistic ignorance in amateur and professional football
Kanitsar, G., & Pfaff, K. (2023) · Social Science Research · doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2023.102947 · Cited by 5
Closing the Gap: How Psychological Distance Influences Willingness to Engage in Risky COVID Behavior
Williams, C., Rauwolf, P., Boulter, M. W., & Parkinson, J. A. (2024) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs14060449 · Cited by 3
Exploring the intersection of digital and environmental challenges: Understanding their convergence through habitus
Ruiu, M. L., & Ragnedda, M. (2024) · Media Culture & Society · doi:10.1177/01634437241282180 · Cited by 3
“At the same time, everyday practices might be constrained by social factors contributing to group lifestyles (Barr and Gilg, 2006), under the influence of environmental regulation (Porter and van der Linde, 1995), specific social norms (Allcott, 2011; Keiser and Schultz, 2018;)”
Catch me if you can: Using machine learning and behavioral interventions to reduce unethical behavior
Hauser, O., Greene, M. A., & DeCelles, K. A. (2025) · Behavioural Public Policy · doi:10.1017/bpp.2024.50 · Cited by 3
“In some cases, nudges have helped to achieve policy outcomes efficiently and cheaply, such as increasing energy savings (Allcott, 2011; Allcott and Rogers, 2014; Jachimowicz et al. , 2018), savings (Karlan et al. , 2016; Kessler et al. , 2019), vaccination uptake (Milkman et al. , 2011), diversity…”
Does user-generated content increase the valuation of urban green space? Evidence from China
Alita, L., & Zhang, J. (2025) · Urban forestry & urban greening · doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2025.129086 · Cited by 3
European energy crisis: Did electricity prices shock real estate markets?
Brolinson, B., Doerner, W. M., Pollestad, A. J., & Seiler, M. J. (2026) · Journal of Environmental Economics and Management · doi:10.1016/j.jeem.2026.103283 · Cited by 3
Estimating the potential reductions in energy demand through efficiency, control and lifestyle change in a real home
Cosar-Jorda, P., Buswell, R. A., & Mitchell, V. (2013) · Loughborough University Research Repository (Loughborough University) · Cited by 3
Energy efficiency: behavioural effects of occupants and the role of refurbishment for European office buildings
Surmann, M., & Hirsch, J. (2016) · Pacific Rim Property Research Journal · doi:10.1080/14445921.2016.1168565 · Cited by 3
An Agent-Based Optimization Framework for Engineered Complex Adaptive Systems with Application to Demand Response in Electricity Markets
Haghnevis, M. (2013) · Cited by 3
Social Norms and Extortion Rackets
Székely, Á., Andrighetto, G., & Nardin, L. G. (2016) · Computational social sciences · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-45169-5_4 · Cited by 3
Global renewable energy diffusion in an input-output framework
Wiebe, K. S. (2017) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315225937-4 · Cited by 3
Beyond Energy- efficient Built Environment – Examining the Relationship between the Users’ Cultural Values and Energy Consumption
Satish, B. K. (2019) · IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science · doi:10.1088/1755-1315/329/1/012024 · Cited by 3
“Alloct, in his study of 600,000 households across the United States has demonstrated that non-price interventions can affect consumer behaviour [23].”
Background
Per Stups zum Energiesparen?
Andor, M., Bensch, G., Fels, K., & Kneppel, N. (2019) · Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik · doi:10.1515/pwp-2018-0039 · Cited by 3
The Future Contribution of Demand Side Management to Solving Kenya’s Energy Insecurity Problems
Kiprop, E., Matsui, K., & Maundu, N. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Science and Development · doi:10.18178/ijesd.2020.11.3.1235 · Cited by 3
“Similarly, consumers in other countries [19], [26], [27] indicated that they would like to adopt demand side management for cost saving.”
BackgroundResult
Nudges Don't Work When the Benefits Are Ambiguous: Evidence from a High‐Stakes Education Program
Castleman, B., Murphy, F. X., Patterson, R. W., & Skimmyhorn, W. (2021) · Journal of Policy Analysis and Management · doi:10.1002/pam.22303 · Cited by 3
“…variety of sectors, from increasing financial and retirement savings and preventative health practices, to reducing home energy use and domestic violence (Allcott, 2011; Beshears et al., 2013; ideas42, 2019; Karlan et al., 2016; Madrian and Shea, 2001; Milkman et al., 2012; Stockwell et al., 2012).”
Background
The Effects of Upward and Downward Social Comparisons on Energy Consumption Behavior
Goette, L. F., Jiang, Z., Schmitz, J., & Schubert, R. (2020) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-981-15-6093-4_9-1 · Cited by 3
Is shame-proneness the missing link between social norms, policymaking and productive entrepreneurship?
Ojha, A. P., & Nandakumar, M. K. (2021) · Journal of strategy and management · doi:10.1108/jsma-01-2021-0007 · Cited by 3
Non-monetary incentives for sustainable biomass harvest: An experimental approach
Attallah, M., Abildtrup, J., & Stenger, A. (2022) · Resource and Energy Economics · doi:10.1016/j.reseneeco.2022.101317 · Cited by 3
“Green nudges in particular had shown to be effective in guiding behaviour to make more sustainable decisions for example: the default option (Löfgren et al., 2012), social comparison (Allcott, 2011) and commitment (Baca-Motes et al., 2013).”
Background
Water Use in the Landscape: A Comparison of Water Quality and Irrigation Technologies on Behavior
Lee, J. M., Taylor, L. O., & Berglund, E. Z. (2021) · Water Resources Research · doi:10.1029/2020wr028853 · Cited by 3
“Equation 3 represents a simple linear demand model for outdoor water consumption similar to those used by Allcott (2011) and Allcott and Kessler (2019).”
Method
Descriptive social norms and resource cues influence choice by additive and separate effects
Bergquist, M., & Johansson, L. (2022) · Nordic Psychology · doi:10.1080/19012276.2022.2078994 · Cited by 3
“, 2014), and pro-environmental domains (Abrahamse & Steg, 2013; Allcott, 2011; Schultz et al., 2007).”
Household energy consumption and its social determinants in Mazandaran
Salehi, S., & Pazokinejad, Z. (2022) · Innovation The European Journal of Social Science Research · doi:10.1080/13511610.2022.2092076 · Cited by 3
“Allcott (2011) found that new information about neighbors ’ electricity consumption in ﬂ uenced on reduction of households ’ consumption.”
Nudging for Social Change: Promises and Cautions for Social Workers to Apply Behavioural Economic Tools
Wang, J. S. (2022) · The British Journal of Social Work · doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcac153 · Cited by 3
Social Information and Educational Investment—Nudging Remedial Math Course Participation
Brade, R. (2022) · Education Finance and Policy · doi:10.1162/edfp_a_00390 · Cited by 3
“…with the notion that most treatment eﬀects are likely to be heterogeneous (Bryan, Tipton, and Yeager 2021; Smith 2022), which is, for instance, often reported for social comparison interventions (Allcott 2011; Byrne, Nauze, and Martin 2018; Brent et al. 2020; Brade, Himmler, and Jäckle 2022).”
Background
Social information decreases giving in late-stage fundraising campaigns
Morvinski, C., Lupoli, M. J., & Amir, O. (2022) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0278391 · Cited by 3
Computational Climate Change: How Data Science and Numerical Models Can Help Build Good Climate Policies and Practices
Tavoni, M. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-16624-2_14 · Cited by 3
Masks, Cameras and Social Pressure
Rasooly, I., & Rozzi, R. (2022) · Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization · doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2024.106699 · Cited by 3
Nudging Pro-social Behavior in a Market Experiment with Carbon Offsets
McEvoy, D. M., Cherry, T. L., & Mohr, T. M. (2023) · The B E Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy · doi:10.1515/bejeap-2023-0100 · Cited by 3
Realistic Nudging through ICT Pipelines to Help Improve Energy Self-Consumption for Management in Energy Communities
Ling, H., Massé, P.-Y., Rihet, T., et al. (2023) · Energies · doi:10.3390/en16135105 · Cited by 3
Judges on the Benchmark: Developing a Sentencing Feedback System
Nguyen, V. L., & Ridgeway, G. K. (2023) · Justice Quarterly · doi:10.1080/07418825.2023.2244738 · Cited by 3
“These reports led to a 2% reduction in energy consumption where the effect was equivalent to increasing the price of electricity between 11 to 20% (Allcott, 2011).”
Background
Behavioral Policy Interventions to Address Education Inequality
Castleman, B., Haskins, R., Akers, B., Baron, J., Dynarski, S., Farran, D. C., Feldman, A., Jones, D., Keys, B. J., Maynard, R. A., et al. (2017) · Behavioral Science & Policy · doi:10.1177/237946151700300105 · Cited by 3
Do conservation contests work? An analysis of a large-scale energy competitive rebate program
Ta, C. L. (2023) · Journal of Environmental Economics and Management · doi:10.1016/j.jeem.2023.102926 · Cited by 4
Psychologically Informed Design of Energy Recommender Systems: Are Nudges Still Effective in Tailored Choice Environments?
Starke, A. D., & Willemsen, M. C. (2024) · Human-computer interaction series · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-55109-3_9 · Cited by 4
Climate policy options
Kotchen, M. J. (2024) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/bs.hesecc.2024.10.003 · Cited by 3
What you don't know, can't hurt you: Avoiding donation requests for environmental causes
Fanghella, V., Ibanez, L., & Thøgersen, J. B. (2025) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108578 · Cited by 3
Pro-environmental behavior and environmentalist movements: Evidence from the identification with Fridays for Future
Flörchinger, D., Frondel, M., Sommer, S., & Andor, M. (2025) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108609 · Cited by 5
Measurement and verification of energy saving in smart building technologies
Zeifman, M. (2015) · IEEE Global Conference on Signal and Information Processing · doi:10.1109/globalsip.2015.7418214 · Cited by 3
“, income level or building square footage) of the enrolled households and the candidate nearby households that did not have a chance to enroll [4].”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
Stimulating Contributions to Public Goods through Information Feedback: Some Experimental Results
Janssen, M. A., Lee, A., & Sundaram, H. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0159537 · Cited by 3
“studies such as [15] and [16] find statistical significant effects among hundred thousands or millions of participants where the absolute effect is very small.”
BackgroundMethod
The Science of Strategic Conservation: Protecting More with Less
Messer, K. D., & Allen, W. L. (2018) · Cited by 3
The Target Opportunity Costs of Successful Nudges
Tor, A. (2020) · Consumer Law and Economics · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-49028-7_1 · Cited by 4
Does the Fact of Undergoing Natural Hazards Influence People's Environmental Values and Ecological Commitment?
Long, T., Pantaléon, N., Kleerebezem, R., & Babutsidze, Z. (2020) · Environmental Values · doi:10.3197/096327120x16033868459502 · Cited by 3
“For example, including a social comparison of a household’s electricity consumption relative to that of their neighbour(s) has been shown to reduce energy use by up to 6.3 per cent (Allcott 2011).”
BackgroundInfluential
A data-driven model for building energy normalization to enable eco-feedback in multi-family residential buildings with smart and connected technology
Ham, S. W., Karava, P., Bilionis, I., & Braun, J. E. (2021) · Journal of Building Performance Simulation · doi:10.1080/19401493.2021.1928755 · Cited by 3
Communication around home-energy monitoring devices
Dillahunt, T. R. (2011) · ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp) · doi:10.1145/2030112.2030192 · Cited by 3
Simulation Based Decision Support for Strategic Communication and Marketing Management Concerning the Consumer Introduction of Smart Energy Meters
van der Sanden, M. C. A., van Dam, K. H., Stragier, J., & Köbus, C. (2013) · ESSACHESS/Essachess · Cited by 3
Energy Efficiency is for Real, Energy Rebound a Distraction
Afsah, S., Salcito, K., & Wielga, C. (2012) · Cited by 3
To Pay Or Not To Pay? Determinants Of Unlawful Product Acquisition
Fleming, P., Parravano, M., & Zizzo, D. J. (2016) · INFM-OAR (INFN Catania) · doi:10.5281/zenodo.44378 · Cited by 2
Electricity Pricing Policy Alternatives to Control Rapid Electrification in Korea
Kim, C., & Shin, J. (2016) · Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology · doi:10.5370/jeet.2016.11.2.285 · Cited by 3
“[17] analyzed the impacts of non-price interventions that”
Background
Evaluation, Measurement, and Verification (EM&V) for Behavior- Based Energy Efficiency Programs: Issues and Recommendations
Todd, A., Stuart, E., Goldman, C. A., et al. (2012) · OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) · Cited by 3
Multi-objective cooperative scheduling: An application on smart grids
Salameh, K., Chbeir, R., & Camblong, H. (2017) · Applied Computing and Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.aci.2017.10.005 · Cited by 3
Cleaner Nudges? Policy Labels and Investment Decision-making
Lange, I., Moro, M., & Rahman, M. M. (2018) · The Energy Journal · doi:10.5547/01956574.39.6.ilan · Cited by 3
“These behavioral interventions (or “nudges”) are characterized by their non-pecuniary nature, including appeals to social norms, information provision, default options, and cash transfer labels (e.g., Schultz et al., 2007; Homonoff, 2013; Allcott, 2011; Allcott and Mullainathan, 2010; Ferraro and Price, 2013).”
Background
Designing a smart information system: the influence of feedback on energy conservation persuasion
Ji, X., Swoboda, M., Rau, P. P., & Sun, N. (2018) · Enterprise Information Systems · doi:10.1080/17517575.2018.1556813 · Cited by 3
“As for energy conservation, comparing energy usage with that of similar homes leads to a constant and decreasing e ﬀ ect on energy consumption in the long run (2 years) (Allcott 2011).”
Background
Drought Status, Price, and the Effectiveness of Water Use Restrictions in Pennsylvania
Krohn, G. A. (2019) · Review of Regional Studies · doi:10.52324/001c.10040 · Cited by 3
Conveyance, envy, and homeowner choice of appliances
Schleich, J. E., Faure, C., Guetlein, M.-C., & Tu, G. (2020) · Energy Economics · doi:10.1016/j.eneco.2020.104816 · Cited by 3
“, Allcott, 2011). In a recent working paper, Fischbacher et al. (2018) study the impact of a novel type of social preference, envy, on energyefficient technology adoption.”
BackgroundInfluential
Digitalisierung und Nachhaltigkeit im Haushalts‑, Gebäude- und Verkehrssektor: Ein kurzer Überblick
Frondel, M. (2021) · List Forum für Wirtschafts- und Finanzpolitik · doi:10.1007/s41025-021-00222-7 · Cited by 3
“Im Gegensatz zu vergleichbaren Studien aus den USA, in denen sogenannte Home Energy Reports versendet und Einspareffekte von 0,5 bis 3,3% ermittelt wurden (Allcott 2011, 2015), findet die RWI-Studie keinen nennenswerten Einspareffekt.”
Background
Long-lasting effects of incentives and social preference: A public goods experiment
Nakagawa, M., Lefèbvre, M., & Stenger, A. (2022) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0273014 · Cited by 5
Consumption Decisions When People Value ConformityPreprint
Ulph, D., & Ulph, A. (2014) · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Cited by 3
Policy labels and investment decision-makingPreprint
Lange, I., Moro, M., & Rahman, M. M. (2022) · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · doi:10.25676/11124/14508 · Cited by 3
“Behavioral approaches include appeals to social norms (Allcott, 2011; Ferraro and Price, 2013), commitment devices, information provision, small price changes (Homonoff, 2013), default options and cash transfer labels (Beatty and Tuttle, 2012).”
Developing HEAT Scores with H-Res Thermal Imagery to Support Urban Energy Efficiency
Hemachandran, B. (2013) · Libraries and Cultural Resources (University of Calgary) · doi:10.11575/prism/25624 · Cited by 3
Information Provision, Market Incentives, and Household Electricity Consumption: Evidence from a Large-Scale Field TrialPreprint
Martin, S., & Rivers, N. J. (2015) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.2703947 · Cited by 3
Consumer behavior, social influence, and smart grid implementation
Li, H. (2016) · OPUS Publication Server of the University of Stuttgart (University of Stuttgart) · doi:10.18419/opus-8816 · Cited by 3
“2, normative messages could achieve household energy savings of 10% (Nolan et al, 2008), while two studies identified reductions of around 2% (Ayres et al, 2009; Allcott, 2011).”
Background
Small is Big: Interactive Trumps Passive Information in Breaking Information Barriers and Impacting Behavioral AntecedentsPreprint
Beck, A. L., Lakkaraju, K., & Rai, V. (2016) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.2823952 · Cited by 3
Soda Wars: The Effect of a Soda Tax Election on University Beverage SalesPreprint
Taylor, R., Kaplan, S. M., Villas‐Boas, S. B., & Jung, K. (2018) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3278315 · Cited by 3
Erratum to “The role of context in residential energy interventions: A meta review” [Renew Sustain Energy Rev 77 (2017) 1146–1168]
Šćepanović, S., Warnier, M., & Nurminen, J. K. (2019) · Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.rser.2019.04.033 · Cited by 3
“change, there are also several studies confirming the effectiveness of their social normative approach [7,15,54].”
Result
Invitations, Incentives, and Conditions: A Randomized Evaluation of Demand-Side Interventions for Health Screenings in Armenia
de Walque, D., Chukwuma, A., Ayivi-Guedehoussou, N., & Koshkakaryan, M. (2020) · World Bank, Washington, DC eBooks · doi:10.1596/1813-9450-9346 · Cited by 3
Impacts of community-led video education to increase vaccination coverage in Uttar Pradesh, India
PATH, Gurley, N., Shearer, J., et al. (2020) · doi:10.23846/tw10ie125 · Cited by 3
Increasing the Energy Cognizance of Electricity Consumers in Mexico: Results From a Field ExperimentPreprint
Stojanovski, O., Leslie, G. W., Wolak, F. A., et al. (2018) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3220111 · Cited by 3
Impacts of a novel mHealth platform to track maternal and child health in Udaipur, India
Nagar, R., Ambiya, M. S., Singh, P., Abdullah, H., Banshiwal, V., Stone, L., Manjanatha, D., Venkat, P. G., Purawat, D., Supatkar, V., et al. (2020) · doi:10.23846/tw10ie129 · Cited by 9
Using Nudges to Reduce Waste? The Case of Toronto's Plastic Bag LevyPreprint
Rivers, N. J., Shenstone-Harris, S., & Young, N. (2016) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.2880580 · Cited by 3
The emergence of deviance: Experiments testing the personal effects of violating a social normPreprint
Gomila, R., & Paluck, E. L. (2020) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/xk3zw · Cited by 3
Everyone Else Is Making a Mistake: Effects of Peer Error on Saving DecisionsPreprint
Perry, E. (2019) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3348672 · Cited by 3
Climate Change and Individual BehaviorPreprint
Bernard, R., Tzamourani, P., & Weber, M. (2022) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4072248 · Cited by 3
“10Allcott (2011) shows providing people with information on their neighbors’ energy consumption causally affects their own energy demand.”
Background
Debiasing the Courtroom: Using Behavioral Insights to Avoid and Mitigate Cognitive Biases
Yokum, D. V. (2014) · UA Campus Repository (The University of Arizona) · Cited by 3
Cognitive Strategies for Peer JudgmentsPreprint
Olsson, H., Barman‐Adhikari, A., Galešić, M., et al. (2021) · doi:10.31219/osf.io/s3hxj · Cited by 3
Covid-19 Vaccine Passport and International Traveling: The Combined Effect of Two Nudges on Americans’ Support for the PassPreprint
Sotis, C., Romano, A., Reyes, R., et al. (2021) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/dr75j · Cited by 3
Nudging Enforcers: How Norm Perceptions and Motives for Lying Shape SanctionsPreprint
Dimant, E., & Gesche, T. (2021) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.3953021 · Cited by 3
The Effect of Information and Subsidy on Adoption of Solar Lanterns: An Application of the Bdm Bidding Mechanism in Rural EthiopiaPreprint
Mekonnen, A., Hassen, S., Jaime, M., et al. (2022) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4122776 · Cited by 3
Complementarities in Behavioral Interventions Evidence from a Field Experiment on Energy ConservationPreprint
Fang, X., Goette, L. F., Rockenbach, B., Sutter, M., Tiefenbeck, V., Schöb, S., & Staake, T. (2022) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4147196 · Cited by 3
When Should Governments Invest More in Nudging? Revisiting Benartzi et al. (2017)Preprint
Tor, A., & Klick, J. (2022) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4189136 · Cited by 3
Conditional Cooperation under Uncertainty: The Social Description-Experience GapPreprint
Kopsacheilis, O., van Dolder, D., & İşler, O. (2022) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4256844 · Cited by 3
Non-Price Energy Conservation Information and Household Energy Consumption in a Developing Country: Evidence from an RctPreprint
Islam, A., Eskander, S., & Wang, L. C. (2023) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4350181 · Cited by 3
“We also add to the growing number of recent studies examining how reference to social norms can change a whole range of behaviors, particularly in energy or resource use (Ayers et al., 2013; Costa and Kahn 2013; Allcott 2011; Ferraro and Price 2013).”
Influential
Not Only for the Money: Nudging SMEs to Promote Environmental SustainabilityPreprint
Grieder, M., Kistler, D., Schlüter, F., & Schmitz, J. (2023) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4351587 · Cited by 5
Mismatch between measures of "greenness": Evidence from a field experiment on self-reports and observed behaviorPreprint
Blankenberg, A., Binder, M., & Waichman, I. (2023) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4542269 · Cited by 3
Discretion Over Information: Evidence from pretrial decisionsPreprint
Davenport, D. (2023) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4580390 · Cited by 3

Authors: Allcott, H.
Affiliations: New York University (US)
Corresponding author: Allcott, Hunt
Venue: Journal of Public Economics
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2011-10
Volume: 95
Issue: 9-10
Pages: 1082-1095
ISSN: 0047-2727 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2011.03.003
OpenAlex: W2139035425
Cited by: 2,802
References: 104
Citations by year: 2026: 225 · 2025: 209 · 2024: 194 · 2023: 208 · 2022: 226 · 2021: 257 · 2020: 225 · 2019: 240 · 2018: 199 · 2017: 171 · 2016: 165 · 2015: 161 · 2014: 147 · 2013: 94 · 2012: 55
FWCI: 263.94
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Journal of Public Economics (publishedVersion)
Topics: Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Pro-Environmental Behavior and Attitudes
Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Energy, Environment, and Transportation Policies
Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies
Keywords: social norms, energy conservation, social comparison, residential electricity consumption, cost-effectiveness, injunctive norms, descriptive norms, treatment effect heterogeneity

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

Social norms and energy conservation

Abstract

Overview

Integrity signals

Verification

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Citations

Cites

Cited by

Related

Metadata

Record

About these checks