March 2022

IZA DP No. 15194: Which Households Respond to Electricity Peak Pricing amid High Levels of Electrification?

Cloé Garnache, Øystein Hernaes, Anders Gravir Imenes

published as 'Demand-Side Management in Fully Electrified Homes' in: Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, 2025, 12 (2), 257–283

We examine heterogeneity in Norwegian households' price responses to critical peak pricing (CPP) on electricity consumption, using a large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT), high-frequency electricity data, and default enrollment. Increasing the grid transmission charge by 4,067% (corresponding to an increase in the electricity price by 1,242%) leads to a 12.5% reduction in consumption, and virtually eliminates the consumption "peak". In contrast to prior studies from less electrified countries, the effect is broad-based, and similar across income groups. These findings provide a unique lens into the effectiveness of demand-based policies, and their impact across household groups, in a more electrified future.