Secrets to Reducing Power Consumption: Can "Using More Than Your Neighbor" Help Save Energy? Psychology Reveals the Power of "Comparison"

Opening the electricity bill, I can't help but sigh. I want to save money, but it's surprisingly unclear what changes I should make and to what extent.

In such a situation, how would you feel if you were told, "Your household uses more electricity than other households"?

Some might think about reviewing their usage, while others might resist, thinking, "But the number of family members and the time spent at home are different."

There is research that examines this common issue based on actual electricity usage. An experiment targeting student households in Stockholm showed that both methods of providing comparisons with other households and giving energy-saving tips for each appliance effectively curbed the increase in electricity consumption during winter.

What roles do the content and delivery of information play in promoting energy conservation?

An Experiment Comparing "Comparing with Others" and "Knowing How to Do It"

The research was conducted by a team led by Yavor Paunov, specializing in consumer psychology. They compared two interventions in a 24-week field experiment involving 140 student households in Stockholm.

One approach is called "nudge." It encourages behavior without forcing choices, and in this experiment, participants were informed weekly about how their electricity usage compared to other households.

The other approach is called "boost," which aims to support the knowledge and ability for individuals to make judgments and take action. This group received specific energy-saving tips for each appliance.

In everyday terms, the former is about "knowing where your usage stands," while the latter is about "knowing what to change."

The research team compared the electricity usage of households that received these interventions with a control group. A distinctive feature of this study is that it tracked the actual amount of electricity used, not just the desire to save energy or self-reported data.

Did Electricity Consumption "Decrease" or Did the "Rate of Increase" Decrease?

The results showed that electricity consumption was significantly curbed in both methods compared to the control group.

However, this result needs to be read carefully.

The study confirmed that the two interventions curbed the growth in electricity usage, which typically increases towards winter. It does not mean that "the usage of all participating households continued to decrease compared to before the experiment."

For example, during colder periods, usage would have increased significantly if nothing was done, but by reviewing usage, the rate of increase was reduced. Such changes can be seen as energy-saving effects when compared to the control group.

The reported avoided consumption was about 7 megawatt-hours for both interventions combined. Converted to kilowatt-hours, this is about 7,000 kWh. This is not a per-household value but the total reported for the entire study.

Also, the expression "combined" does not mean that combining comparison and advice for the same household doubles the effect. From the results, it cannot be determined what the additional effect would be if both were used together.

Specific Advice is Effective, But Not Necessarily "Superior to Comparison"

The research team initially predicted that the boost group, which received specific energy-saving tips, would suppress usage more than the nudge group, which received comparison information.

However, no statistically significant difference in effectiveness was observed between the two methods.

This result suggests that under the conditions of this study, both methods served as means to change behavior. It cannot be conclusively stated that "they have exactly the same effect" or that "teaching knowledge is always superior."

Particularly significant energy savings were observed among participants who had high electricity usage at the start of the study. In this group, the weekly reduction compared to the control group was reported as 3.97 kWh for the boost group and 3.12 kWh for the nudge group.

However, these figures pertain to the high-usage group. Not all participating households reduced this amount weekly. Also, the superiority of a method cannot be determined solely by the size of the numbers.

Households with high usage may have more room for improvement. On the other hand, it would be challenging to demand the same reduction from households already conserving energy.

Who receives what information may be crucial in energy-saving efforts.

On Social Media, Questions of "Is It Fair?" Arise Before "Is It Helpful?"

Here, let's look at the voices of those who actually received comparison notifications.

The following is not a direct reaction to this paper. It summarizes experiences and opinions posted on Reddit about usage comparisons by a U.S. power company. These experiences have not been independently verified and do not represent a survey of society as a whole.

In a suburban Chicago community, there was a query about the comparison reports from the power company ComEd, questioning whether there are really people who use less than other households, as it always shows their home as inefficient.

Comments included voices wanting to know what "neighboring households" mean as a comparison target, while others reported that they always fall on the side of lower usage.

In a Detroit community, there was a post describing DTE's comparison display as a "shame meter," expressing dissatisfaction with being compared to other households despite differences in homes and living hours.

On the other hand, there were opinions defending the role of comparison information, suggesting it merely shows how one's home compares to similar houses.

Particularly striking were experiences where evaluations of household electricity usage worsened after starting remote work or using electric vehicles.

These voices do not prove that comparisons are meaningless. However, if recipients feel that "differences in conditions are being ignored," information for energy conservation might be perceived as an unfair evaluation.

In Japanese Households, "Who to Compare With" Becomes Important

This issue is easy to imagine even when applied to Japanese living situations.

Even in the same region, the electricity needs differ between single-person households and those with children. It also varies between homes with no one during the day and those with remote workers.

In households using gas for heating and cooking versus all-electric homes, the role of electricity itself differs. The necessary usage changes with the size of the house, insulation performance, and heating equipment.

Therefore, the fact that electricity usage is high should not be directly interpreted as "wasteful."

Electricity usage at home is a number representing a part of life. For example, if one starts charging their car at home, electricity usage might increase, but the fuel previously purchased might decrease. A ranking based solely on electricity cannot capture such changes.

When considering a system for Japan based on this study, it would be desirable to match household numbers and housing conditions as closely as possible and explain the basis for comparison.

This is not a conclusion directly verified by the study but an applied suggestion based on the study results and user feedback. For comparison to trigger action, the comparison itself must first be convincing.

Turning "Let's Save Energy" into "What You Can Do Today"

After seeing a comparison notification and deciding to review usage, the next step is actionable behavior.

Simply saying "Please save more energy" leaves one unsure where to start. This is where specific advice comes in handy.

The Agency for Natural Resources and Energy introduces actions that can be taken at home, such as cleaning clogged air conditioner filters and reviewing refrigerator usage.

For example, with refrigerators, actions include not overfilling with food, minimizing the time the door is open, and ensuring proper heat dissipation space. Installation conditions and settings should be checked according to the product manual and food storage conditions.

The strength of such advice is that it makes actions specific.

"Check the air conditioner's filter this week."

"Organize the refrigerator and decide what to take out before opening the door."

Rather than setting large goals, it's easier to incorporate as a single task into daily life.

Note that these are examples based on Japan's official energy-saving information and do not replicate the advice distributed in the experiment.

When Trying at Home, Separate Costs and Usage

When verifying the results of energy conservation, it is helpful to look at usage in kWh, not just the bill amount.

Electricity bills are influenced not only by usage but also by contracts and unit prices. An increase in the bill does not necessarily mean more electricity was used.

On the other hand, when comparing usage, it's important not to forget changes in conditions. The need for electricity varies in weeks that were colder, when family members stayed home longer, or when there were guests.

When incorporating this at home, the following small flow can be considered.

• Check electricity usage through bills or available services.
• Reflect on conditions that were different from usual, such as temperature or home hours.
• Choose one review that can be done without strain.
• Check again in the next period and consider if it's a sustainable method.

This does not guarantee the same effect as the study, but it serves as an entry point to connect looking at numbers with specific actions.

Making energy conservation a "competition to cut back on living" makes it hard to continue. Rather than enduring necessary heating, cooling, or device usage, it might be easier to first look for points of improvement in usage and maintenance.

Results from Student Dorms Cannot Be Directly Applied Nationwide in Japan

There are limitations to the research.

The subjects were households living in student dorms. The same effects may not occur in general Japanese households, which differ in age, housing facilities, and lifestyle.

Also, since the target housing was close together, there is a possibility that participants shared information with each other. For example, if someone who received energy-saving tips shared them with a friend in another group, the differences between groups might diminish.

Tracking actual usage over 24 weeks is valuable, but it does not alone reveal the effects over several years or the sustainability after stopping information provision.

It is necessary to determine under what conditions, for whom, and to what extent these methods are useful, rather than generalizing that "anyone will save energy if compared to others" or "teaching tips solves the problem."

Changing Electricity Usage Requires Convincing Information, Not Blame

This study showed the potential to change electricity usage through information delivery without having to replace equipment.

On the other hand, voices from social media reveal the challenges of the comparison method. While it can prompt some to review their usage, others might feel their living circumstances are ignored.

To utilize such systems in Japan, it would be important not to end with just notifying rankings but to explain comparison conditions and present actionable options for the household.

Beyond "Your household uses more than others," there should be "This usage might be something you can review."

Instead of blaming electricity users, it is important to help them find improvement points that fit their lifestyle. The key to sustaining energy conservation may lie in how such information is delivered.

Sources & Reference URLs

1. Phys.org:Details on the experiment with 140 households over 24 weeks, about 7 MWh of avoided consumption, results for high-usage groups, and research limitations.
   https://phys.org/news/2026-11-psychology-electricity-comparisons-curb-consumption.html

2. Scientific Reports: Page of the research paper
   The paper is titled "A randomized field experiment comparing nudges and boosts for household electricity conservation in student housing." The publication date of the paper is September 3, 2026, different from the research introduction dated November 10.nature.com
   https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-69386-6

3. University of Mannheim: Research announcement dated November 10, 2026
   It confirms that the two interventions curbed the increase in winter usage and that there was no statistically significant difference in the effectiveness of both methods.Universität Mannheim
   https://www.uni-mannheim.de/newsroom/presse/pressemitteilungen/2026/november/studie-stromkosten/

4. Reddit - Chicago Suburbs Community: Discussion on ComEd's household comparison
   Questions about comparison targets and posts stating that their home always appears on the lower usage side, as introduced in the article. Not direct reactions to this paper.reddit.com
   https://www.reddit.com/r/ChicagoSuburbs/comments/1p0gf6z/is_anyones_energy_usage_less_than_their_neighbors/

5. Reddit - Detroit Community: Discussion on DTE's electricity usage comparison
   Opinions feeling blamed by the comparison, opinions defending the comparison, and experiences of evaluation changes due to remote work or electric vehicle use.reddit.com
   https://www.reddit.com/r/Detroit/comments/1rabhl5/dtes_shame_meter_for_comparing_your_homes/

6. Agency for Natural Resources and Energy: Tips for energy-saving and conservation at home
   Referenced specific examples for Japanese households, such as cleaning air conditioner filters and refrigerator usage and heat diss