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Energy Journal

Re-Identifying the Rebound: What About Asymmetry?

Rebound effects measure the behaviorally induced offset in the reduction ofenergy consumption following efficiency improvements. Using panel estimation me-thods 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 pos-sibility that fuel price elasticities – from which rebound effects can be derived – areasymmetric. This approach rests on empirical evidence suggesting that the responsein individual travel demand to price increases is stronger than to decreases. Such anasymmetric response would require referencing price elasticities derived from pricedecreases in order to identify the rebound effect, as it represents the response to a de-crease in unit cost for car travel due to improved fuel efficiency. Failing to reject thenull hypothesis of a symmetric price response, we alternatively estimate a reversiblespecification and obtain a rebound estimate for single-vehicle households being in therange of 46 to 70%, which is in line with an earlier German study by FRONDEL, PETERS,and VANCE(2008).

Frondel, M. und C. Vance Ph.D. (2013), Re-Identifying the Rebound: What About Asymmetry?. Energy Journal, 34, 4, 43-54

DOI: 10.5547/01956574.34.4.3