Home energy reports that are actually interesting

Hi all,

 

You may have heard of Opower, an American company that provides a customer engagement platform for utilities. They were acquired by Oracle Corporation in 2016. Anyway, Opower uses cutting edge designs and behavioural science techniques to engage customers in reducing their electricity usage. I’ve come across one of their latest home energy reports, which sounds very boring but isn’t at all.

As customers become more aware of the impacts that climate change has on their lives, they are looking for ways to do their part. One of those ways is to reduce energy consumption at home. Opower’s home energy report shows them how to do just that, in a way that is clear and compelling. These reports are not too wordy, feature eye-catching infographics, and focus on only the most important information that a customer will want to know. One interesting feature is that Opower is moving away from focusing on direct comparisons of a customer’s energy use to similar homes in their neighbourhood. Though that is demonstrated in the report, the focus is on a target zone that the customer can work toward. In essence, they are using goal setting to motivate customers in addition to social norms. 

 

Further, on the back of the report, Opower has included a QR code so that customers can complete a home energy assessment in five minutes or less. Since most people now have smart phones, this is a simple and convenient way for them to complete the assessment. There is no barrier of logging in, which according to the company, has increased engagement by 5x. 

 

I’ve presented a few highlights here but there are more features to the reports, which are on Opower’s website. If you’d like to explore their work, click here.