As part of the flexQgrid project, the Institute of Industrial Management and Production (IIP) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) conducted a first major survey on the acceptance of the quota model and willingness to participate in the quota model. For the study, just over 1000 people from all over Germany were asked about their acceptance of and possible willingness to participate in the quota model by means of a representative online survey. The results of the survey show that, overall, the quota model presented meets with a high level of acceptance and interest among respondents. The respondents rate both the financial benefits of participation and the positive effects on the environment and the energy transition as high. The potential risks of participation are considered to be comparatively low. In addition, the respondents generally see themselves in a position to adapt their energy consumption flexibly to a quota at times.

By means of a decision experiment, the study also surveyed the preferences of respondents with regard to different designs of a quota model. The results show that, in addition to appropriate monetary compensation for participation, it is above all the time of day of a quota that determines the willingness to participate. Respondents prefer to restrict their consumption in the morning; mornings and evenings are in the middle and restrictions in the afternoon meet with the least acceptance. In contrast, the number of quotas that can be called per year and the maximum duration of a quota play a comparatively minor role for respondents.

Overall, the results cast a positive light on the quota model in terms of acceptance and willingness to participate among the population. The perceived benefits of the model outweigh the risks and costs of possible participation in the eyes of the respondents. Furthermore, the results suggest that certain restrictions under a quota are accepted as long as the financial incentives provide adequate compensation.

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