What information do residential customers want about their electricity consumption? A choice experiment approach

Effective demand-side management requires understanding which types of electricity consumption information feedback (ECIF) households prefer and how much they are willing to pay for them. However, empirical evidence regarding consumer preferences for ECIF attributes is limited. This study employs a choice experiment survey and Bayesian mixed logit model to quantify South Korean households’ preferences and willingness to pay for ECIF attributes. Results show consumers are highly sensitive to monthly usage fees. Among information feedback attributes, consumers most value progressive-rate alerts and appliance-level electricity consumption monitoring. Preferences for carbon emissions and standby-power information are positive but considerably weaker, reflecting limited perceived cost-saving opportunities. Mobile applications significantly enhance consumer utility, whereas SNS/text messages decrease it, indicating that information feedback channels impact consumer welfare. These findings suggest that policy could prioritize a low-price, mobile application-centered core built around progressive-rate alerts and electricity usage monitoring, with modular add-ons (standby power, carbon-emissions information) and optional personalization to accommodate heterogeneity and maximize uptake.