Abstract
The aim of this research was to identify energy saving instructions effect on household’s electricity consumption. The research was conducted using Randomized Control Trials, which implied defining a treatment and control group on a sample of 330 households. The research was carried out in Republic of Serbia, where electricity prices are the lowest in Europe and electricity is used inefficiently. For quantitative analysis of data, the Difference in Difference method was used, which compares the changes in electricity consumption over time between the treatment and control group and estimates the overall impact of the energy saving instructions. The research showed that in situations where electricity price is very low, energy saving information does not have the significant impact on change in consumer behavior. However, inefficient use of electricity might be due to the different efficiency of heating devices used. Not only that the low impact of information on energy saving habits may be a consequence of the low will to change habit, but also of the impossibility to change the habit (unless changing the heating device, but this implies expenditures). Results can be used for consideration of changes in organization and regulation of the electricity market in all South Eastern European countries (SEE).
Highlights
Research on the impact of obtaining instructions on energy saving on the behavior of electricity consumers in 330 Serbian households was conducted for the months of February, March, and April 2019, whereby in January 2019, only energy consumption was measured, without stratification of the sample
The households that were covered by the research were divided into 3 strata. This division was made due to the fact that electricity in Serbia is largely consumed for heating, which creates a significant room for change and application of energy saving technologies
The research showed that energy saving information does not affect the change in consumer behavior if the electricity price is very low
Summary
The European Union (EU) actively promotes a cost-efficient energy transition that can deliver secure, sustainable, and affordable energy to all European consumers [1]. The new energy legislative framework set new targets for the EU for 2030—to increase energy efficiency of at least 32.5% [2], to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% in comparison with 1990 level, and to increase the share of renewable energy in energy consumption of at least 32% [3]. In the first half of 2019, the European Commission adopted the ‘Clean Energy Package for All Europeans,’ which consists of eight different legislative texts (as of December 2018) where the regulation of electricity market and improvement of energy efficiency plays an important role
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
