Transforming feedback - a study of how interactive, engagement-oriented feedback can enhance behaviour change around electricity consumption

Harries, Tim, Costanza, Enrico and Brightwell, Maria das Graças (2014) Transforming feedback - a study of how interactive, engagement-oriented feedback can enhance behaviour change around electricity consumption. (Project Report) London, U.K. : Sustainable Society Network. 13 p. (Working Papers, no. 2)

Abstract

The ‘Transforming Feedback’ pilot study aimed to explore the impacts of a form of feedback that was designed to engage users in the process of interpreting and re-visualising data about their home electricity consumption. This report describes the aims and methods of the study and outlines the system used to engage people with feedback about their consumption. The study was conducted between August 2013 and February 2014. The paragraphs below discuss some of the implementation of the research design and list the main themes that have so far emerged from the data analysis. For a period of three weeks, twelve households were provided with equipment that measured the electricity consumption of their household and were asked to spend 5-10 minutes each day using an online software application that enabled them to view how their consumption varied minute by minute, label that consumption according to the activities or devices associated with it and test out different visualisations of the resulting information set. Following the three-week trial, participants were interviewed about their experiences and an analysis made of the digital trace left by their interactions with it.

Actions (Repository Editors)

Item Control Page Item Control Page