Artikel

Re-Identifying the Rebound: What About Asymmetry?

Rebound effects measure the behaviorally induced offset in the reduction of energy consumption following efficiency improvements. Using panel estimation methods and household travel diary data collected in Germany between 1997 and 2009, this study identifies the rebound effect in private transport by allowing for the possibility that fuel price elasticities--from which rebound effects can be derived--are asymmetric. This approach rests on empirical evidence suggesting that the response in individual travel demand to price increases is stronger than to decreases. We argue that such an asymmetric response would require referencing price elasticities derived from price decreases in order to identify the rebound effect, as it represents the response to a decrease in unit cost for car travel due to improved fuel efficiency. Failing to reject the null hypothesis of a symmetric price response, we alternatively estimate a reversible specification and obtain a rebound estimate for single-vehicle households being in the range of 46 to 70%, which is in line with an earlier German study by Frondel, Peters, and Vance (2008).

Language
Englisch

Bibliographic citation
Journal: The Energy Journal ; ISSN: 1944-9089 ; Volume: 34 ; Year: 2013 ; Issue: 4 ; Pages: 42-54 ; Cleveland, OH: International Association for Energy Economics

Classification
Wirtschaft
Subject
Automobile travel
Panel estimation models
Price asymmetry

Event
Geistige Schöpfung
(who)
Frondel, Manuel
Vance, Colin
Event
Veröffentlichung
(who)
International Association for Energy Economics
ZBW - Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft
(where)
Cleveland, OH
(when)
2013

DOI
doi:10.5547/01956574.34.4.3
Handle
Last update
10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET

Data provider

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Object type

  • Artikel

Associated

  • Frondel, Manuel
  • Vance, Colin
  • International Association for Energy Economics
  • ZBW - Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft

Time of origin

  • 2013

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