Sample Selection in the Los Angeles Electricity Rate Study

Describes how the sample of households participating in the Los Angeles Electricity Rate Study was selected. Through cluster and stratified random sampling procedures, a sample of 6184 households was chosen. The finite selection model was then used to assign each chosen household to one of the experimental rate plans. This application of the model was done separately for the 34 time-of-day rate plans, and the six seasonal rate plans. A sample of 1800 households finally enrolled in the study. The average characteristics of the experimental households were found different from those for all of Los Angeles. This results from the designed overrepresentation of high-consumption households and the exclusion of households who recently moved. Sample weights were also provided which incorporated the differential probabilities of selection for each household, and sample characteristics were calculated using these weights.