Energy Efficiency in Low-Income Household

Replacement of Inefficient Cooling Appliances in Low-Income Households

Using electricity and heating energy sparingly has become increasingly important for low-income households in light of rising energy prices. How can energy efficiency in low-income households be improved? And how can the effectiveness of existing support programmes for specific household groups be enhanced?

Empirical analyses of existing programme data show that both the level of financial incentives and behavioural design elements, such as time-limited individual offers, can positively influence participation in support schemes. Further field-experimental evidence on various behavioural design features also indicates that low-income households respond in systematically different and in some cases opposite ways compared to “average” households. As a result, it is not sufficient to design programmes based on plausible assumptions alone. Instead, they must be tailored specifically to the target group in order to be truly effective.