An Empirical Analysis of Energy Conservation Behaviors in Households

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24530267
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied economics
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: ARIMURA Toshihide 早稲田大学, 政治経済学術院, 教授 (70327865)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KATAYAMA Hajime 早稲田大学, 商学学術院, 准教授 (00595746) ; IWATA Kazuyuki 高崎経済大学, 地域政策部, 准教授 (90590042)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 省エネルギー / 地球温暖化 / 社会的規範 / 構造推定 / ピアエフェクト / 情報提供 / 行動経済学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined energy conservation behaviors in Japanese households to promote the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. First, using a household survey conducted in a suburb of Tokyo, we examined whether individuals properly perceive the benefits of energy-saving actions. We found that, on average, Japanese individuals overestimate the benefits. Further, we found that the higher perceived benefit of energy saving actions does not necessarily lead to the real actions. We also examined the effectiveness of environmental subsidy, known as eco-point. We found that emission reduction due to the eco-point program was not as great as previously reported by the government agencies. Further, we confirmed the rebound effect from the purchase of energy efficient appliances by the program. Finally, we examined the diffusion of energy saving actions in Japanese households after the Great East Japan Earthquake. The survey indicates that there is a large emission reduction potential form household.

Free Research Field

環境経済学