Residential Water Consumption: A Cross Country Analysis

R. Quentin Grafton, Tom Kompas, Hang To and Michael Ward

No 94823, Research Reports from Australian National University, Environmental Economics Research Hub

Abstract: Survey data from over 1,600 households in ten countries were used to analyse the determinants of residential water demand. Results show that in every country the price elasticity is negative and statistically significant. Households that do not have to pay for the water they use (volumetric water charges) consume about a third more water than similar households that do have to pay such charges. Consumers’ attitudes do not have a statistically significant effect on total water use, although they do increase the probability of households using some water saving behaviours. Volumetric water charges also have an impact on the adoption of water saving actions. Full-cost water pricing appears to be a highly effective instrument to manage residential water demand.

Keywords: Environmental Economics and Policy; Resource/Energy Economics and Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 43
Date: 2009-08
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/94823/files/EERH_RR23.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Determinants of Residential Water Consumption: Evidence and Analysis from a Ten-country Household Survey (2011)
Working Paper: Residential Water Consumption: A Cross Country Analysis (2009)
Working Paper: Residential Water Consumption: A Cross Country Analysis (2009)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:eerhrr:94823

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.94823

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