AN INVESTIGATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF SELECTED DEMAND DETERMINANTS UPON RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION IN SELECTED OKLAHOMA COUNTIES 1951-1972

The problem with which this study was concerned was one of determining the effects of selected demand determinants upon residential electricity consumption in selected Oklahoma counties from January 1, 1951, through December 31, 1972.;It was concluded that: (1) if real residential electricity prices do change, residential electricity usage will change inversely. (2) none of the additional projections of residential electricity usage performed by varying real residential natural gas prices, real per capita county income, or real promotional expenditures influenced residential electricity usage as substantially as varying the real residential electricity price. (3) the real average price of residential electricity, the real average price of residential natural gas, the real average per capita county income, and the real promotional expenditures were significant factors in the usage of residential electricity. (4) electricity price elasticities were elastic for both price increases and price decreases within a 50 percent range from the twenty-one year real average price of residential electricity. (5) income elasticities were greater than zero but less than one for both income increases and income decreases within a 50 percent range from the twenty-one year average per capita income value. (6) cross elasticity coefficients between electricity and natural gas did not indicate a substitute relationship. (7) promotional expenditure elasticity was inelastic for both promotional expenditure increases and promotional expenditure decreases from the twenty-one year real average value for promotional expenditures per residential customer.;Ordinary least squares multiple regression analysis was utilized to develop demand functions by county and for the entire study area. These demand functions were used to project residential electricity usage for the entire study area. The results of these residential electricity usage projections were used to provide estimates of price, cross, income and promotional expenditure elasticities for the entire study area.