Purpose The key purpose of this paper is to quantify the size of the energy-efficiency gap (EEG) for air conditioners at the household level in Delhi. Most of the studies in the EEG tradition broadly define EEG as the difference between the actual and optimal level of energy efficiency. The optimal level of energy efficiency is defined at the societal level (that weigh social costs against social benefits) and the private level (that weigh private costs against private benefits). Design/methodology/approach The authors base the empirical results in this study on the basis of the primary data collected through in-person interviews of the high-income urban households in Delhi in 2014-2015. The sample of 101 households was collected through purposive random sampling. The survey data include information on type and number of AC possessed, hours of operations, socioeconomic characteristics and awareness and habits of households. Findings Using primary data of 101 high-income urban household, the paper finds that average EEG is about 10 per cent of total electricity demand of ACs at the household level. The maximum current saving potential measured as a difference between hypothetical energy consumption, if everyone adopts five star ACs, and actual energy consumption is estimated about 14 per cent of the total electricity demand of ACs. Results from the ordinary least squares regressions demonstrate that individual’s habits, attitude, awareness of energy-efficiency measures and perceptions significantly determine the size of the EEG. Among other things, authors’ empirical analysis shows that information can play a central role in guiding investment in energy-efficient technologies. From the analysis of improving access to understandable information about cost savings, payback period and emission reduction, it is found that full information leads to the significant reduction in the size of the expected private energy-efficiency gap from 10 to 2.98 per cent at the household level. Research limitations/implications This paper tests the significance of non-economic and non-social factors in determining the size of the EEG. Apart from socioeconomic factors such as income, occupation and education, individual’s energy-conserving habits and attitudes, awareness of energy-efficiency measures and perceptions are other important factors found to have a significant negative impact on the size of the EEG. This is particularly important for the designing of information programs by policymakers for promoting energy-efficiency choices in view of the change that is required in the behavior and attitudes of the households. Originality/value In this study, authors try to estimate the size of the EEG of ACs for the high-income urban households in Delhi. The private energy-efficiency gap estimated at 10 per cent of the household demand for ACs indicates existing saving opportunity for the private households. It is found that provision of comprehensive information about cost savings, payback period and emission reduction reduces the size of the EEG significantly from 10 to 2.72 per cent at the private level. This highlights the existence of limited and incomplete information in the market about the possible costs and benefits of energy-efficiency investments. This paper tests the significance of non-economic and non-social factors in determining the size of the energy-efficiency gap. Apart from socioeconomic factors such as income, occupation and education, individual’s energy-conserving habits and attitudes, awareness of energy-efficiency measures and perceptions are other important factors found to have a significant negative impact on the size of the EEG. This is particularly important for the designing of information programs by policymakers for promoting energy-efficiency choices in view of the change that is required in the behavior and attitudes of the households.

中文翻译：

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分析“能效差距”

目的 本文的主要目的是量化德里家用空调的能效差距 (EEG) 的大小。EEG 传统中的大多数研究将 EEG 定义为实际和最佳能效水平之间的差异。能源效率的最佳水平是在社会层面（权衡社会成本与社会效益）和私人层面（权衡私人成本与私人效益）定义的。设计/方法/途径 作者基于 2014-2015 年通过对德里高收入城市家庭的面对面访谈收集的原始数据，得出本研究的实证结果。101 户样本是通过有目的的随机抽样收集的。调查数据包括有关拥有的 AC 的类型和数量的信息，营业时间、社会经济特征以及家庭的意识和习惯。调查结果 本文利用 101 个高收入城市家庭的原始数据，发现平均脑电图约占家庭层面空调总电力需求的 10%。以假设能耗之间的差值衡量的最大当前节能潜力，如果每个人都采用五星级空调，实际能耗估计约为空调总电力需求的 14%。普通最小二乘回归的结果表明，个人的习惯、态度、对能源效率措施的认识和感知显着决定了 EEG 的大小。除其他外，作者的实证分析表明，信息可以在指导节能技术投资方面发挥核心作用。从改善获取有关成本节约、投资回收期和减排量的可理解信息的分析中发现，完整的信息导致家庭预期私人能源效率差距的规模从 10% 显着减少到 2.98%等级。研究局限性/影响 本文测试了非经济和非社会因素在确定 EEG 大小方面的重要性。除了收入、职业和教育等社会经济因素外，个人的节能习惯和态度、对能效措施的认识和认知是其他重要的对脑电图大小产生显着负面影响的因素。鉴于家庭行为和态度需要改变，这对于决策者设计信息计划以促进能效选择尤为重要。原创性/价值 在这项研究中，作者试图估计德里高收入城市家庭空调的脑电图大小。估计占家庭空调需求 10% 的私人能效差距表明私人家庭存在储蓄机会。研究发现，提供有关成本节约、投资回收期和减排的综合信息可将私人层面的 EEG 规模从 10% 显着降低至 2.72%。这凸显了市场上关于能源效率投资可能的成本和收益的有限和不完整的信息。本文检验了非经济和非社会因素在确定能效差距大小方面的重要性。除了收入、职业和教育等社会经济因素外，个人的节能习惯和态度、对能效措施的认识和认知是其他重要的对脑电图大小产生显着负面影响的因素。鉴于家庭行为和态度需要改变，这对于决策者设计信息计划以促进能效选择尤为重要。本文检验了非经济和非社会因素在确定能效差距大小方面的重要性。除了收入、职业和教育等社会经济因素外，个人的节能习惯和态度、对节能措施的认识和认知是其他重要因素，对脑电图的大小有显着的负面影响。鉴于家庭行为和态度需要改变，这对于决策者设计信息计划以促进能效选择尤为重要。本文检验了非经济和非社会因素在确定能效差距大小方面的重要性。除了收入、职业和教育等社会经济因素外，个人的节能习惯和态度、对能效措施的认识和认知是其他重要的对脑电图大小产生显着负面影响的因素。鉴于家庭行为和态度需要改变，这对于决策者设计信息计划以促进能效选择尤为重要。对能效措施的认识和看法是其他重要因素，发现对 EEG 的大小有显着的负面影响。鉴于家庭行为和态度需要改变，这对于决策者设计信息计划以促进能效选择尤为重要。对能效措施的认识和认知是对 EEG 大小产生显着负面影响的其他重要因素。鉴于家庭行为和态度需要改变，这对于决策者设计信息计划以促进能效选择尤为重要。