Residential Conservation Program Impacts

Abstract

Participants in utility-sponsored residential conservation programs are systematically different from nonparticipants. As a result self-selection is an important validity threat in studies of conservation program impact. Three approaches to dealing with this self- selection bias are reviewed: (1) designs that use participants as a control group, (2) construction of a matched sample on the basis of predicted energy consumption values, and (3) multiple regression analysis. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed.