Opower combines design with psychology to nudge utility customers to make better energy choices, helping the planet, the grid, and their wallets. From small actions (like taking shorter showers) to big actions (like buying an electric car), behavioural techniques can encourage people to act. In this session, Karina will cover the best practices of behaviour change and give examples from her work.

1. 1 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates
Hi!
I’m Karina. I work
at Opower (part of
Oracle Utilities) at
the intersection of:
ANTHROPOLOGY TECHNOLOGY
CLIMATE CHANGE

2. Opower was founded on an insight from behavioral science
2 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates
Save
Money
Help the
Planet
Be a Good
Citizen
Your
Neighbors
Use Less

3. Opower was founded on an insight from behavioral science
3 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates
Save
Money
Help the
Planet
Be a Good
Citizen
Your
Neighbors
Use Less
Zero Impact on Energy
Consumption

4. Opower was founded on an insight from behavioral science
4 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates
Save
Money
Help the
Planet
Be a Good
Citizen
Zero Impact on Energy
Consumption
Your
Neighbors
Use Less
6% Drop in Energy
Consumption

5. 5 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates | Confidential: Internal/Restricted/Highly Restricted [Date]

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Show that this
message comes from
a trusted source
Use visuals to
draw the eye
Step 1: Pique interest

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Step 2: Motivate action
Show that others are
saving energy
Make it easy to act by
offering tips (and using
social proof to show that
others have done these
things)
Estimating dollars saved
appeals to the rational
brain and sparks loss
aversion. We hate knowing
our actions are causing us
to lose out!

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Step 3: Support habit formation
Give feedback!
Support self monitoring by
showing customers their
use over time

9. Post launch: measure impact!
9 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates

10. We’re all human: we see energy savings across the board
10 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates | Confidential: Internal/Restricted/Highly Restricted [Date]
>100k
75-100k
50-75k
25-50k
0-25k 60+
50-59
40-49
30-39
18-29
Energy savings by Age
Energy savings by Income

11. Ongoing experiences vs one-time actions each need a unique strategy
11 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates | Confidential: Internal/Restricted/Highly Restricted [Date]
Reducing energy use & shifting use off peak times
are ongoing experiences, without a defined start or
end point. They’re not usually top of mind. These
actions become habits if we do our jobs well.

12. Ongoing experiences vs one-time actions each need a unique strategy
12 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates | Confidential: Internal/Restricted/Highly Restricted [Date]
Actions like installing solar, getting an EV, switching
from gas to electric end uses, or weatherizing your
home are one-time with a defined trigger starting
the process and endpoint when the switch is
complete. These actions require more time,
attention, and money (but not forever).
Reducing energy use & shifting use off peak times
are ongoing experiences, without a defined start or
end point. They’re not usually top of mind. These
actions become habits if we do our jobs well.

13. We worked with Dr. Hale Forster and the team at See Change Institute
13 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates | Confidential: Internal/Restricted/Highly Restricted [Date]

14. 14 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates | Confidential: Internal/Restricted/Highly Restricted [Date]

15. Motivation
15 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates | Confidential: Internal/Restricted/Highly Restricted [Date]
Aesthetics
Comfort
Sound
dampening
Health &
Safety (e.g.
airborne
insulation or
hurricane
windows)
Water
intrusion
Broken
equipment
Home value
Lowering
utility bills
Lifestyle
Needed
Upgrades
Return on
Investment

16. Not all motivations are equally urgent!
16 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates | Confidential: Internal/Restricted/Highly Restricted [Date]
Motivation Trigger Urgency
Needed upgrades
My home is unsafe, or lacking in
basic functionality (e.g. working
heat) until I take action
Lifestyle
My home could be more
comfortable; it’s livable, but a
little annoying until I take action
Return on investment
Future me could save money if I
act now, but the amount I’d save
if I wait until tomorrow is small
so why rush

17. Factors affecting ability
Home Type
• Does the home have electricity and gas, or
just electricity?
• Is the home a rental or owned?
• Does the home have other issues that need to
be addressed before upgrades can start (e.g.
mold)?
• Is the home already very efficient, making
further improvements unnecessary?
Finances
• Does the customer already have the money to
make the needed upgrades?
• If not, do they have access to utility or
government programs to assist?
• Are there financing options available?
17 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates | Confidential: Internal/Restricted/Highly Restricted [Date]

18. 18 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates | Confidential: Internal/Restricted/Highly Restricted [Date]

19. 19 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates | Confidential: Internal/Restricted/Highly Restricted [Date]

20. These are our design principles:
20 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates
1.
Design for how
people actually
behave
3.
Always lead
to action
2.
Assume
people don’t
care
5.
Build for
everyone…
who receives
a utility bill
4.
Aim for lasting
relationships

21. Thank You
21 Copyright © 2020, Oracle and/or its affiliates | Confidential: Internal/Restricted/Highly Restricted [Date]