Time-of-use tariffs aim to shift energy use to better match available supply. This study shows that perception of savings, more so than actual savings, predicts intent to remain enrolled in time-of-use programmes, which may undermine benefits for household finances and energy-reduction goals.

A natural field experiment found that real-time feedback on energy consumption while showering led to an 11.4% reduction in energy use in a random sample of hotel guests, demonstrating the potential for activity-specific feedback as a cost-effective and scalable conservation strategy.

The cost of green electricity is unfairly distributed, with consumers paying more while industry actors are subsidized. Here, the authors find that reducing the inequity in cost burden by abolishing exemptions increases consumer acceptance of these costs.

Achieving transport decarbonization targets depends on vehicle-purchasing decisions. Non-financial consumer preferences presented in six global energy-economy models reveal that diverse policies targeting vehicle buyers are necessary for the widespread adoption of clean technologies.

The effects of battery degradation on the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from electric vehicles are unknown. Here the authors show that the lifetime of a typical battery is between 5.2 and 13.3 years across the U.S., with an 11.5–16.2% increase in energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.

Substitution across fuels is hard to study because traditional transport technologies are typically single-fuel. Using Swedish data, this study shows that fuel demand elasticities differ across fuels, and drivers exhibit high preference for fossil fuels, hindering the take-up of alternative fuels.