---
_id: '62697'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: "Urged by the European Energy Crisis and the threatening consequences of severe\r\nnatural
gas shortages, energy providers launched gas-saving initiatives incor-\r\nporating
financial incentives to reduce residential natural gas consumption. In\r\ncollaboration
with one of Germany’s largest energy providers, we conducted\r\na natural field
experiment (N = 2,598) to evaluate the effectiveness of a\r\nbehaviorally-guided
co-design of such a gas-saving initiative by implementing\r\ntwo established behavioral
instruments – reminders of gas saving intentions and\r\ndescriptive norm feedback.
Our findings show limited effectiveness of the behav-\r\nioral instruments during
the high-price period. The feedback risks a “boomerang\r\neffect” among households
with above-average initial savings, who reduce their\r\nconservation efforts in
response. The reminder does not significantly enhance sav-\r\nings in our main
specifications, yet, realizes 1 percentage point savings in alternate\r\nmodels
refining for outliers. Potential mechanisms include a significant intention-\r\naction
gap and misperceived effectiveness of energy-saving actions, which are not\r\nalleviated
by the reminder."
author:
- first_name: Vicky
full_name: Tinnefeld, Vicky
last_name: Tinnefeld
- first_name: Martin
full_name: Kesternich, Martin
id: '98922'
last_name: Kesternich
orcid: 0000-0002-0653-7680
- first_name: Madeline
full_name: Werthschulte, Madeline
last_name: Werthschulte
citation:
ama: Tinnefeld V, Kesternich M, Werthschulte M. Do Energy-Saving Nudges Deliver
During High-Price Periods? Field Experimental Evidence From the European Energy
Crisis. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 25-60; 2025.
apa: Tinnefeld, V., Kesternich, M., & Werthschulte, M. (2025). Do Energy-Saving
Nudges Deliver During High-Price Periods? Field Experimental Evidence From the
European Energy Crisis. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 25-60.
bibtex: '@book{Tinnefeld_Kesternich_Werthschulte_2025, title={Do Energy-Saving Nudges
Deliver During High-Price Periods? Field Experimental Evidence From the European
Energy Crisis}, publisher={ZEW Discussion Paper No. 25-60}, author={Tinnefeld,
Vicky and Kesternich, Martin and Werthschulte, Madeline}, year={2025} }'
chicago: Tinnefeld, Vicky, Martin Kesternich, and Madeline Werthschulte. Do Energy-Saving
Nudges Deliver During High-Price Periods? Field Experimental Evidence From the
European Energy Crisis. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 25-60, 2025.
ieee: V. Tinnefeld, M. Kesternich, and M. Werthschulte, Do Energy-Saving Nudges
Deliver During High-Price Periods? Field Experimental Evidence From the European
Energy Crisis. ZEW Discussion Paper No. 25-60, 2025.
mla: Tinnefeld, Vicky, et al. Do Energy-Saving Nudges Deliver During High-Price
Periods? Field Experimental Evidence From the European Energy Crisis. ZEW
Discussion Paper No. 25-60, 2025.
short: V. Tinnefeld, M. Kesternich, M. Werthschulte, Do Energy-Saving Nudges Deliver
During High-Price Periods? Field Experimental Evidence From the European Energy
Crisis, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 25-60, 2025.
date_created: 2025-11-28T12:07:25Z
date_updated: 2025-12-01T10:21:20Z
ddc:
- '330'
file:
- access_level: closed
content_type: application/pdf
creator: mkestern
date_created: 2025-11-28T12:04:11Z
date_updated: 2025-11-28T12:04:11Z
file_id: '62698'
file_name: dp25060.pdf
file_size: 2165853
relation: main_file
success: 1
file_date_updated: 2025-11-28T12:04:11Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
jel:
- C93
- D04
- D91
- Q41
keyword:
- Residential energy savings
- energy crisis
- behavioral interventions
- survey data
- field experiment
language:
- iso: eng
publisher: ZEW Discussion Paper No. 25-60
status: public
title: Do Energy-Saving Nudges Deliver During High-Price Periods? Field Experimental
Evidence From the European Energy Crisis
type: working_paper
user_id: '98922'
year: '2025'
...
---
_id: '56494'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: "Many industrialized countries have recognized the need to mitigate energy
cost increases faced by low-income households by fostering the adoption of energy-efficient
technologies. How to meet this need is an open question, but “behavioral insights”
are likely components of future policy designs. Applying well-established behavioral
insights to low-income house- holds raises questions of transportability as they
are typically underrepresented in the existing evidence base. We illustrate this
problem by conducting a randomized field experiment on scalable, low-cost design
elements to improve program take-up in one of the world’s largest en- ergy efficiency
assistance programs. Observing investment decisions of over 1,800 low-income households
in Germany’s “Refrigerator Replacement Program”, we find that the transportabil-
ity problem is real and consequential: First, the most effective policy design
would not have been chosen based on existing behavioral insights. Second, design
elements favored by these insights either prove ineffective or even backfire,
violating ‘do no harm’ principles of policy advice. Systematic testing remains
crucial for addressing the transportability problem, partic- ularly for policies
targeting vulnerable groups.\r\n"
author:
- first_name: Martin
full_name: Kesternich, Martin
id: '98922'
last_name: Kesternich
orcid: 0000-0002-0653-7680
- first_name: Bettina
full_name: Chlond , Bettina
last_name: 'Chlond '
- first_name: 'Timo '
full_name: 'Goeschl, Timo '
last_name: Goeschl
- first_name: Madeline
full_name: Werthschulte, Madeline
last_name: Werthschulte
citation:
ama: 'Kesternich M, Chlond B, Goeschl T, Werthschulte M. Transporting Behavioral
Insights to Low-Income Households: A Field Experiment on Energy Efficiency Investments. AWI
Discussion Paper Series No. 755; 2024.'
apa: 'Kesternich, M., Chlond , B., Goeschl, T., & Werthschulte, M. (2024). Transporting
behavioral insights to low-income households: A field experiment on energy efficiency
investments. AWI Discussion Paper Series No. 755.'
bibtex: '@book{Kesternich_Chlond _Goeschl_Werthschulte_2024, title={Transporting
behavioral insights to low-income households: A field experiment on energy efficiency
investments}, publisher={ AWI Discussion Paper Series No. 755}, author={Kesternich,
Martin and Chlond , Bettina and Goeschl, Timo and Werthschulte, Madeline}, year={2024}
}'
chicago: 'Kesternich, Martin, Bettina Chlond , Timo Goeschl, and Madeline Werthschulte.
Transporting Behavioral Insights to Low-Income Households: A Field Experiment
on Energy Efficiency Investments. AWI Discussion Paper Series No. 755, 2024.'
ieee: 'M. Kesternich, B. Chlond , T. Goeschl, and M. Werthschulte, Transporting
behavioral insights to low-income households: A field experiment on energy efficiency
investments. AWI Discussion Paper Series No. 755, 2024.'
mla: 'Kesternich, Martin, et al. Transporting Behavioral Insights to Low-Income
Households: A Field Experiment on Energy Efficiency Investments. AWI Discussion
Paper Series No. 755, 2024.'
short: 'M. Kesternich, B. Chlond , T. Goeschl, M. Werthschulte, Transporting Behavioral
Insights to Low-Income Households: A Field Experiment on Energy Efficiency Investments, AWI
Discussion Paper Series No. 755, 2024.'
date_created: 2024-10-10T12:25:31Z
date_updated: 2024-10-11T09:04:17Z
ddc:
- '330'
file:
- access_level: open_access
content_type: application/pdf
creator: mkestern
date_created: 2024-10-10T12:25:25Z
date_updated: 2024-10-10T12:25:25Z
file_id: '56495'
file_name: 755,_october_2024.pdf
file_size: 3239473
relation: main_file
file_date_updated: 2024-10-10T12:25:25Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
jel:
- C93
- D91
- Q49
keyword:
- Transportability
- low-income households
- field experiment
- randomized controlled trial
- governmental welfare programs
- energy efficiency
- technology adoption
language:
- iso: eng
oa: '1'
publisher: ' AWI Discussion Paper Series No. 755'
status: public
title: 'Transporting behavioral insights to low-income households: A field experiment
on energy efficiency investments'
type: working_paper
user_id: '98922'
year: '2024'
...
---
_id: '34154'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: "Regulations to prevent ethnic discrimination in accessing the labor\r\nmarket
are implemented most thoroughly in the public sector. However, it remains\r\nto
be assessed if these regulations are internalized. We conducted a field\r\nexperiment
to examine ethnic discrimination when applying for internships in\r\nGerman municipalities
by unsolicited inquiries. We compared responses in\r\nGerman cities to Turkish,
Italian, and German applicants in two periods, and find\r\nconsistent disadvantages
for the Turkish and Italian applicants as well as\r\ndifferences related to gender.
Thus, the likelihood for ethnic discrimination rises\r\nwhen applying for positions
in public institutions that are not subject to\r\nregulations."
article_type: letter_note
author:
- first_name: Thorsten Fabian
full_name: Auer, Thorsten Fabian
id: '49071'
last_name: Auer
- first_name: Helin
full_name: Ekemen, Helin
last_name: Ekemen
- first_name: Carolin
full_name: Hagedorn, Carolin
last_name: Hagedorn
- first_name: Chantal
full_name: Heise, Chantal
last_name: Heise
- first_name: Christine
full_name: Rese, Christine
last_name: Rese
citation:
ama: 'Auer TF, Ekemen H, Hagedorn C, Heise C, Rese C. Same Different but not Same
Same: Ethnic Discrimination in Application Procedures in the German Public Sector.
Empirical Economics Letters. 2022;21(7):47-55.'
apa: 'Auer, T. F., Ekemen, H., Hagedorn, C., Heise, C., & Rese, C. (2022). Same
Different but not Same Same: Ethnic Discrimination in Application Procedures in
the German Public Sector. Empirical Economics Letters, 21(7), 47–55.'
bibtex: '@article{Auer_Ekemen_Hagedorn_Heise_Rese_2022, title={Same Different but
not Same Same: Ethnic Discrimination in Application Procedures in the German Public
Sector}, volume={21}, number={7}, journal={Empirical Economics Letters}, author={Auer,
Thorsten Fabian and Ekemen, Helin and Hagedorn, Carolin and Heise, Chantal and
Rese, Christine}, year={2022}, pages={47–55} }'
chicago: 'Auer, Thorsten Fabian, Helin Ekemen, Carolin Hagedorn, Chantal Heise,
and Christine Rese. “Same Different but Not Same Same: Ethnic Discrimination in
Application Procedures in the German Public Sector.” Empirical Economics Letters
21, no. 7 (2022): 47–55.'
ieee: 'T. F. Auer, H. Ekemen, C. Hagedorn, C. Heise, and C. Rese, “Same Different
but not Same Same: Ethnic Discrimination in Application Procedures in the German
Public Sector,” Empirical Economics Letters, vol. 21, no. 7, pp. 47–55,
2022.'
mla: 'Auer, Thorsten Fabian, et al. “Same Different but Not Same Same: Ethnic Discrimination
in Application Procedures in the German Public Sector.” Empirical Economics
Letters, vol. 21, no. 7, 2022, pp. 47–55.'
short: T.F. Auer, H. Ekemen, C. Hagedorn, C. Heise, C. Rese, Empirical Economics
Letters 21 (2022) 47–55.
date_created: 2022-11-28T22:30:11Z
date_updated: 2023-11-23T08:15:58Z
ddc:
- '330'
department:
- _id: '178'
- _id: '184'
file:
- access_level: open_access
content_type: application/pdf
creator: auerth
date_created: 2022-11-29T20:21:17Z
date_updated: 2022-11-29T20:37:41Z
file_id: '34160'
file_name: Auer et al 2022_Empirical Economics Letters.pdf
file_size: 219466
relation: main_file
file_date_updated: 2022-11-29T20:37:41Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: ' 21'
issue: '7'
jel:
- C93
- J71
keyword:
- Ethnic Discrimination
- Public Sector
- Field Experiment
- Application Procedure
language:
- iso: eng
oa: '1'
page: 47-55
publication: Empirical Economics Letters
publication_identifier:
issn:
- 1681 8997
publication_status: published
status: public
title: 'Same Different but not Same Same: Ethnic Discrimination in Application Procedures
in the German Public Sector'
type: journal_article
user_id: '49071'
volume: 21
year: '2022'
...
---
_id: '4697'
author:
- first_name: Peter
full_name: Sommerauer, Peter
last_name: Sommerauer
- first_name: Oliver
full_name: Müller, Oliver
last_name: Müller
citation:
ama: 'Sommerauer P, Müller O. Augmented reality in informal learning environments:
A field experiment in a mathematics exhibition. Computers and Education.
2014:59--68. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2014.07.013'
apa: 'Sommerauer, P., & Müller, O. (2014). Augmented reality in informal learning
environments: A field experiment in a mathematics exhibition. Computers and
Education, 59--68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.07.013'
bibtex: '@article{Sommerauer_Müller_2014, title={Augmented reality in informal learning
environments: A field experiment in a mathematics exhibition}, DOI={10.1016/j.compedu.2014.07.013},
journal={Computers and Education}, author={Sommerauer, Peter and Müller, Oliver},
year={2014}, pages={59--68} }'
chicago: 'Sommerauer, Peter, and Oliver Müller. “Augmented Reality in Informal Learning
Environments: A Field Experiment in a Mathematics Exhibition.” Computers and
Education, 2014, 59--68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.07.013.'
ieee: 'P. Sommerauer and O. Müller, “Augmented reality in informal learning environments:
A field experiment in a mathematics exhibition,” Computers and Education,
pp. 59--68, 2014.'
mla: 'Sommerauer, Peter, and Oliver Müller. “Augmented Reality in Informal Learning
Environments: A Field Experiment in a Mathematics Exhibition.” Computers and
Education, 2014, pp. 59--68, doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2014.07.013.'
short: P. Sommerauer, O. Müller, Computers and Education (2014) 59--68.
date_created: 2018-10-12T08:30:44Z
date_updated: 2022-01-06T07:01:18Z
doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2014.07.013
extern: '1'
keyword:
- Augmented reality
- Cognitive theory of multimedia learning
- Field experiment
- Informal learning
- Museum
language:
- iso: eng
page: 59--68
publication: Computers and Education
publication_identifier:
isbn:
- 0360-1315
issn:
- '03601315'
status: public
title: 'Augmented reality in informal learning environments: A field experiment in
a mathematics exhibition'
type: journal_article
user_id: '72849'
year: '2014'
...