E.ON Case Study: Gamifying Energy Conservation in Co-Living Spaces

E.ON, one of Europe’s leading energy providers, sought to tackle a common issue in co-living spaces: motivating residents to adopt energy-saving behaviors. Unlike traditional households, co-living residents typically pay a flat fee for utilities as part of their rent. This “all-inclusive” model eliminates any direct financial link between individual energy consumption and costs, making conventional incentives for conservation ineffective.

This presented a unique challenge: how do you inspire sustainable behavior in an environment where financial motivation doesn’t apply?

To address this, we explored the power of gamification; a creative approach to drive engagement and foster positive change through fun, interactive, and socially rewarding experiences.

OBJECTIVE

Proof of concept

1. Encourage Energy Conservation: Inspire residents to reduce energy usage without relying on monetary rewards.

2. Foster Engagement Across Diverse Groups: Develop a solution that appeals to the varied habits, priorities, and motivations of co-living residents.

3. Leverage Real-Time Technology: Integrate the solution with smart meters to provide real-time feedback and actionable insights.

4. Promote Collaboration and Community: Build features that not only reward individual action but also strengthen teamwork and shared responsibility among residents.

Challenges

1. Fixed Utility Costs:
   In co-living spaces, residents pay a flat rate for utilities as part of their rent. This structure removes the direct financial incentive to reduce energy usage, making it harder to motivate conservation.

2. Shared Responsibility:
   Energy consumption is collective, with no direct accountability assigned to individuals. This shared usage model makes it difficult to encourage action or track personal contributions.

3. Diverse Resident Dynamics:
   Co-living spaces house a variety of residents with different habits, priorities, and motivations. A one-size-fits-all approach wouldn’t work; the solution needed to resonate across this diverse audience.

4. Limited Awareness and Engagement:
   Many residents lacked awareness of their energy usage patterns and practical ways to reduce consumption. Bridging this knowledge gap was essential.

Our Approach

We took a user-centered and service design approach, using gamification as the central strategy to engage residents and drive sustainable behavior.

1. Research Phase: Understanding the Users

The first step was to understand the unique dynamics of co-living spaces and what would motivate residents:

• Surveys and Interviews:
  We gathered insights into energy habits, motivations, and residents’ perceptions of sustainability.

• Player Archetypes:
  I conducted a psychological analysis to identify key user types, such as competitive achievers, collaborative team players, and knowledge-seekers. This ensured the gamification elements would appeal to everyone.

• Motivational Maps:
  These maps aligned game mechanics with user motivations, laying the foundation for features like leaderboards, challenges, and shared goals.

• Behavioral Insights:
  We discovered that non-monetary rewards, such as recognition and progress tracking, were highly effective in inspiring behavior change.

2. Development Phase: Designing the Solution

With these insights, we moved into the design phase to create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP):

• App Design:
  I designed the app in Figma with Tailwind components, focusing on a clean, intuitive interface that prioritized simplicity and engagement.

• Gamification Features:

  • Challenges: Personal and group tasks to reduce energy consumption during specific times.

  • Leaderboards: Highlighting top performers to foster friendly competition.

  • Tips & Tricks: Practical, actionable advice tailored to users’ energy usage habits.

  • Collaborative Goals: Encouraging teamwork by rewarding groups for achieving shared milestones.

• Technology Stack:
  We built the MVP using React and Tailwind CSS to enable rapid development and testing.

• Smart Meter Integration:
  The app synced with smart meters in the buildings, providing real-time energy usage data for dynamic feedback and precise tracking.

3. Pilot Testing: Iteration Through Feedback

We ran a Proof of Concept (PoC) with residents in co-living spaces to test the MVP in a real-world environment.

• Feedback Loops:
  Residents loved the leaderboards and collaborative goals but suggested clearer instructions for challenges.

• Behavioral Impact:
  Participants reported significant reductions in energy consumption, demonstrating that gamification could drive meaningful change without monetary incentives.

• Iterative Refinement:
  Based on resident feedback, we refined features to ensure the app was intuitive, engaging, and effective.

Outcomes

The pilot testing revealed promising results and valuable user insights:

Clear Understanding of Purpose:
All participants immediately understood the app’s goal—reducing energy consumption—even without an introduction.

Gamification is a Big Plus:
While not everyone was competitive, participants saw value in gamified features like challenges and leaderboards.

Tips & Tricks as a Behavioral Game-Changer:
Participants found this feature practical and engaging, with many stating they would apply the tips in their daily lives. Adding dynamic content like videos and push notifications was suggested to make it even more impactful.

Rewards Are Essential:
Participants emphasized that rewards, such as badges or prizes, were key motivators for participating in challenges and leaderboards.

Collaborative Features Need Refinement:
While participants understood the team concept, many felt hesitant to motivate others actively. Strengthening the team dynamic is crucial for fostering deeper engagement.

Intuitive Dashboard Design:
The dashboard received praise for its clean and user-friendly layout. Suggestions included enhancing visual elements, providing more contextual data, and adding features like a “Top 3” ranking to heighten competition.

Dynamic Challenges and Content:
Challenges were a hit, but participants suggested incorporating multi-step tasks and dynamic content to keep them engaging over time.

Participant Feedback

“I’m going to try the two-song shower tomorrow!”

“I really like the UI of the application.”

“Would be nice to win the dinner for our group.”

Impact

1. Energy Savings:
   Participants significantly reduced energy consumption during the pilot, proving the effectiveness of gamification in driving sustainable behavior.

2. High Engagement:
   The app resonated with all types of users, with leaderboards, challenges, and tips emerging as standout features.

3. Stronger Community:
   While collaboration needed refinement, the app showed potential to foster teamwork and shared responsibility for energy conservation.

4. Validated MVP:
   The successful pilot demonstrated the app’s viability and provided a roadmap for future iterations.

Reflection

This project showcased how gamification, user-centered design, and behavioral psychology can come together to tackle real-world challenges. By focusing on intrinsic motivators like recognition and collaboration, we created a solution that not only conserved energy but also engaged and empowered residents.

For me, the most rewarding aspect was developing player archetypes and aligning game mechanics with user needs, proving that thoughtful design can drive meaningful change.

This project stands as a testament to the power of innovation, collaboration, and creative problem-solving in addressing global challenges like energy conservation.