Would you use less electricity if you knew your neighbors were saving more than you?
In Armenia, this question became the basis for a large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) carried out during 2022 and 2023. Thousands of households received monthly reports comparing their energy use with that of similar families. Some reports included cost information; others did not.
The results were striking. Families who received the reports consistently used less electricity than those who did not. Even more surprising was what happened when the reports stopped.
For eight months, the letters paused. Many expected the savings to disappear. Instead, when the reports were reintroduced, households quickly returned to conserving energy — often at the same level as before.
This experiment revealed that households do not need constant nudges. Intermittent feedback can be just as effective as continuous reminders, while costing far less. It also avoids the problem of “behavioral fatigue,” where people become desensitized to constant messaging.
Behavioral interventions like social comparison can complement traditional price reforms. They offer a low-cost, scalable way to promote energy conservation without imposing additional financial burdens on households. For countries facing both environmental and social challenges, intermittent nudges provide a promising path toward sustainable, equitable energy savings.