Heterogeneity in the Rebound Eff ect Further Evidence for Germany # 227

Rebound eff ects measure the behaviorally induced off set in the reduction of energy consumption following effi ciency improvements. Using both panel estimation and quantile-regression methods on household travel diary data collected in Germany between 1997 and 2009, this study investigates the heterogeneity of the rebound eff ect in private transport. With the average rebound eff ect being in the range of 57% to 62%, our results are in line with a recent German study by FRONDEL, PETERS, and VANCE (2008), but are substantially larger than those obtained from other studies. Furthermore, our quantile-regression results indicate that the magnitude of estimated fuel price elasticities – from which rebound eff ects can be derived – depends inversely on the household’s driving intensity: Households with low vehicle mileage exhibit fuel price elasticities, and hence rebound eff ects, that are signifi cantly larger than those for households with high vehicle mileage. JEL Classifi cation: D13, Q41