Ethiopia’s Electronic Water Bill Payments: A Randomized Controlled Trial

While numerous studies examine mobile money adoption for firms and person-to-person transfers, evidence on electronic bill payments for utilities remains scarce. We address this gap with a randomized controlled trial in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where despite availability of multiple electronic payment channels, most households pay water bills in person. We randomly assign households to receive a discount or e-payment training. This design identifies price sensitivity and information barriers in utility payment digitalization, informing Ethiopia’s national digital transformation agenda.