In-home displays (IHDs) were installed in 354 residential homes at a large west coast gasrnand electric utility. The IHDs’ main function was to engage customers with real time electricityrnusage and the costs associated with that usage, and, as a result, help customers adopt morernenergy efficient behaviors. The device appeared to accomplish this goal: an estimated 5% dailyrnelectric usage savings was found in an evaluation that included billing analysis, surveys ofrnparticipants about device usability and satisfaction, and separate focus groups with satisfied andrndissatisfied participants. This study revealed that prominent display of the IHD in the home’srncommon areas and specific IHD display design elements were important in engaging customersrnwith the device. Public positioning helped stimulate conversations about energy conservationrnboth inside and outside the household. This finding contradicts the commonly held industryrnbelief that the optimal vehicle to communicate information about energy consumption is thernpersonal electronic device (PED). Pilot participants preferred the stand-alone IHD over the PEDrnbecause it was readily viewable by all members of the household and it displayed compellingrnusage information. Mobile devices on the other hand, are usually private and energy usagerninformation would need to be pulled by the customer, rather than pushed by the utility. Specificrndisplays of the IHD, such as the “speedometer” of current kW, were greatly preferred over otherrndisplays for conveying information about electric consumption. IHD design matters – we havernonly scratched the surface in terms of understanding how to attract and engage customers.
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