Behavioural responses to energy-related taxes: a survey

This article examines behavioural responses to changes in energy prices by surveying the magnitude of energy price elasticities. Price elasticity estimates can be used to understand behavioural responses to changes in prices due to environmental taxes. A theoretical framework is presented followed by an overview of the range of price elasticity estimates for energy found in the literature. The empirical estimates are classified on the basis of a selection of characteristics. It is argued that presenting a range of price elasticities provides more information than a unique estimate. The findings suggest that environmental taxes can create a significant reduction in energy use.