The Economic Value of Habits in Household Production: A Field Experiment

Ioana Bejan, Carsten Lynge Jensen, Laura Mørch Andersen, Lars Gårn Hansen

Abstract

People are prone to habits but how important are they for economic outcomes? In a randomized field experiment we compare two treatments with identical economic incentives to adjust a range of household production activities. Treatments only differ in the extent to which they allow households to adjust habits relevant for these activities. We utilize smart-metered hourly power consumption to unobtrusively measure treatment effects. We find that preventing habits from being adjusted reduces consumer surplus by 76% suggesting a substantial economic value of habits.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherDepartment of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen
Number of pages34
Publication statusPublished - 2018
SeriesIFRO Working Paper
Number2018/01

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