Séminaire

Information Frictions, Inertia, and Selection on Elasticity: A Field Experiment on Electricity Tariff Choice

Koichiro Ito (The University of Chicago - Harris School of Public Policy)

20 mars 2017, 11h00–12h15

Toulouse

Salle MS 001

Environment Economics Seminar

Résumé

We develop a discrete-continuous choice model to characterize the link between plan choice, switching frictions, and subsequent continuous choice of service utilization. We then test the model predictions by using a randomized controlled trial in electricity tariff choice. We find that both information frictions and inertia prevent consumers from switching to a tariff that is privately and socially beneficial. While interventions to mitigate these frictions increased overall switching rates, they also incentivized relatively price-inelastic consumers to switch. We characterize this phenomenon by selection on elasticity and show how it affects the optimal rate design in the presence of switching frictions.