A utility company was interested in knowing if agricultural customers would use less electricity during peak hours if their rates were different during those hours. (Agricultural energy use is substantial, for things like irrigation, lighting, wind turbines to reduce frost damage, and so on.) Customers who volunteered for the study were randomly assigned to continue to get standard rates or to receive the time-of-day rate structure. Special meters were attached that recorded usage during peak and off-peak hours, which the customers could read. The technician who read the meter did not know what rate structure each customer had.
a. What was the explanatory variable in this experiment?
b. What was the response variable in this experiment?
c. Was this experiment single-blind, double-blind, or neither? Explain.
d. Did this experiment use matched pairs, blocks, or neither? Explain.