Energy efficiency, information, and the acceptability of rent increases: A survey experiment with tenants

Ghislaine Lang and Bruno Lanz

Energy Economics, 2021, vol. 95, issue C

Abstract: This paper studies the role of imperfect information and attentional biases in the context of energy efficiency investments in rented properties and associated split incentives. We design a multiple price list experiment representing owners' decision to replace the central heating appliance, and employ both within-subject information disclosure and between-subject variation in information provision to quantify how tenants trade off energy efficiency and rent increases. Results show that informing tenants of a CHF 1 decrease in energy bills leads to CHF 1.12 in acceptable rent increase on average. Quantile regressions further indicate that the average treatment effect of information reflects heterogeneous changes along the entire distribution of acceptable rent increases. By contrast, information on energy bills variability dampens acceptable rent increase, and information about CO2 tax payments has no incremental impact on choices. Our results highlight the importance of credible ex-ante estimates of financial savings associated with energy efficiency investments.

Keywords: Split incentives; Informational interventions; Energy efficiency; Rented properties; Survey experiments; Multiple price lists (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Working Paper: Energy efficiency, information, and the acceptability of rent increases: A survey experiment with tenants (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:95:y:2021:i:c:s0140988320303479

DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2020.105007

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