Residents' Electricity-Saving Behavior Under Demand-Side Management of Electricity: A Quasi-Natural Experiment of “E-Saving” Activity

With the exacerbation of global energy crisis and power shortage issues, Power Demand Side Management (PDSM) has become an important strategy to address the imbalance in energy supply. Based on the “e-saving” campaign, this study analyzed the impact of this management strategy on residents' electricity-saving behavior using daily electricity data from 1000 residents in Chengdu over a period of 18 months, employing a multi-stage difference-in-differences method. The research indicates that the “e-saving” campaign significantly promotes residents' electricity-saving behavior, especially among high-energy-consuming households and middle-aged residents. Additionally, there is a “rebound effect” in residents' electricity-saving behavior after the end of the campaign. Economic incentives played a key role in the campaign, and the points reward significantly promoted the electricity saving behavior of residents. Based on empirical results, this study provides empirical evidence for power companies and governments to improve residents' electricity saving behaviors.