Testing for Spillovers in Resource Conservation: Evidence from a Natural Field Experiment

TL;DR

This study investigates whether behavioral interventions for resource conservation in one domain cause spillovers in another, using a natural field experiment with over 2,000 residents to measure direct and spillover effects.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence on the presence or absence of spillover effects between water and energy conservation behaviors from real-world interventions.

Findings

Water-saving interventions significantly reduced shower use.

No direct effect of energy-saving intervention on air-conditioning use.

Null spillover effects between water and energy conservation behaviors.

Abstract

This paper studies whether behavioral interventions designed to promote resource conservation in one domain generate spillovers in another. Using a natural field experiment involving over 2,000 residents, we identify the direct and spillover effects of real-time feedback and social comparisons on water and energy consumption. We implement three interventions: two targeting shower use and one targeting air-conditioning use. We find significant reductions in shower use from both water-saving interventions, but no direct effect of the energy-saving intervention on air-conditioning use. For spillovers, we estimate precise null effects of water-saving interventions on air-conditioning use, and of the energy-saving intervention on shower use.