Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/315041 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
IRENE Working Paper No. 25-01
Publisher: 
University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Economic Research (IRENE), Neuchâtel
Abstract: 
Energy cultures, broadly defined as shared beliefs, practices, and material preferences that shape energy-related behaviors, provide a useful framework for investigating consumption differences across population groups. We investigate how households' energy demand behavior differ across the French-German language border in Switzerland. Our empirical strategy focuses on a regression discontinuity design, leveraging the clear separation created by the language border. We distinguish between two types of behavior, one linked to mobility and another to electricity consumption. Our results indicate that electricity consumption is relatively stable across the border. On the other hand, households residing in the French-speaking region show on average a greater usage of own vehicle, measured by annual distance traveled. This difference remain significant across the language border, suggesting that cultural elements could drive meaningful differences in private car travel. While we do not find evidence for energy culture differences in electricity demand, our results point to distinct energy cultures with regards to car usage, therefore in the mobility domain.
Subjects: 
Energy culture
Household energy demand
Electricity usage
Mobility
Correlated random effects
Regression discontinuity design
JEL: 
C24
R23
R41
Q40
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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