Effectiveness of monetary information in promoting the purchase of energy-efficient appliances: evidence from a field experiment at a major retailer in Spain

The study examined the impact of monetary information—delivered via sales staff and supplementary labels—on the purchase of washing-machines, fridges, dishwashers, and tumble-driers. Results indicate that while monetary information can increase the probability of buying A++ appliances, it often fails to nudge consumers toward the highest efficiency (A+++) models, likely due to price premiums. Additionally, the study identifies a 'memory effect' where previous regional rebate programmes continued to positively influence the purchase of A+++ appliances after the programmes had ended.

• Providing monetary information via sales staff (Treatment 1) increased the probability of purchasing A++ washing-machines and dishwashers, but it decreased the probability of buying A+++ models for those same appliances and A+++ fridges.
• The combination of sales staff and supplementary labels (Treatment 2) increased the probability of purchasing A+++ tumble-driers by 4.01% compared to the control group, though it decreased the probability of buying A+++ washing-machines and dishwashers.
• The failure of monetary information to promote A+++ purchases for fridges and dishwashers is attributed to significant price differences; A+++ fridges cost 27.68% more and A+++ dishwashers cost 34.89% more than A++ models.
• Technical attributes significantly influence purchasing decisions: higher capacity increases the probability of buying A+++ washing-machines, and a greater number of services increases the probability of buying A+++ dishwashers.
• The study found a 'memory effect' from previous RENOVE rebate programmes, where the probability of buying A+++ appliances remained higher after the programme ended, specifically increasing by 0.8% for washing-machines, 4.5% for fridges, and 5.7% for dishwashers.
• Income levels in the area of purchase had heterogeneous effects: higher-income locations showed a greater probability of buying A++ fridges and C-labelled tumble-driers, but income was not statistically significant for washing-machines and dishwashers.
• Price is a major factor in decision-making; for washing-machines, the difference in lifetime energy cost (LEC) between A+++ and A++ models (€63.59) does not offset the higher purchase price (€78.36).

APA

Solà, M. D. M., Escapa, M., & Galarraga, I. (2021). Effectiveness of monetary information in promoting the purchase of energy-efficient appliances: evidence from a field experiment at a major retailer in Spain. Basque Centre for Climate Change. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20220201082032238305588.pdf

Chicago

Solà, María del Mar, Marta Escapa, and Ibon Galarraga. Effectiveness of monetary information in promoting the purchase of energy-efficient appliances: evidence from a field experiment at a major retailer in Spain. Basque Centre for Climate Change, 2021. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20220201082032238305588.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Solà |first1=María del Mar |last2=Escapa |first2=Marta |last3=Galarraga |first3=Ibon |title=Effectiveness of monetary information in promoting the purchase of energy-efficient appliances: evidence from a field experiment at a major retailer in Spain |publisher=Basque Centre for Climate Change |date=December 2021 |url=https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20220201082032238305588.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sol2021effectiveness, author = {Solà, María del Mar and Escapa, Marta and Galarraga, Ibon}, title = {{Effectiveness of monetary information in promoting the purchase of energy-efficient appliances: evidence from a field experiment at a major retailer in Spain}}, institution = {Basque Centre for Climate Change}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20220201082032238305588.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }