From intention to action: can nudges help consumers to choose renewable energy?

In energy consumption, individuals feature a gap between intention and action. Survey data from the US, the UK, and other European countries show that 50-90% of respondents favour energy from renewable sources, even at a small premium. Yet less than 3% actually buy renewable energy. We investigate h...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Momsen, Katharina (Author) , Stoerk, Thomas (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: 5 August 2014
In: Energy policy
Year: 2014, Volume: 74, Pages: 376-382
ISSN:1873-6777
DOI:10.1016/j.enpol.2014.07.008
Online Access:Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2014.07.008
Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421514004121
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Author Notes:Katharina Momsen, Thomas Stoerk
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Summary:In energy consumption, individuals feature a gap between intention and action. Survey data from the US, the UK, and other European countries show that 50-90% of respondents favour energy from renewable sources, even at a small premium. Yet less than 3% actually buy renewable energy. We investigate how nudges - a slight change in the information set that an individual faces when taking a decision - can help individuals align behaviour with intention. We present evidence from an original survey experiment on which nudges affect the choice whether to contract renewable energy or conventional energy. We find that only a default nudge has a significant effect, while all other nudges prove ineffective. In our setting, a default nudge increases the share of individuals who choose renewable energy by 44.6%.
Item Description:Gesehen am 07.08.2023
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:1873-6777
DOI:10.1016/j.enpol.2014.07.008