Social Media and Smart Phones: A way of influencing behavioral change using feedback. Andy Stephenson – National Energy Action

 Meadow Well Connected set up to help people  Deal day to day with people struggling to heat homes  Majority of households don’t understand energy so don’t use it  Poor quality housing, even though 90% is social rented Why this project

 Create a competition to reduce energy and change behaviours  Carried out using Facebook  10 top tips used as the game metrics  Points scored for every Facebook post  Points scored for saving energy  Competition ran for 13 weeks over winter The Concept Game of Homes* * Note the Game of Homes name and concept is the property of Giacene. All finding and data used are by their kind permission

 10 households participating in total  2 were not part of the competition  1 participated but a windfall changed their minds  All were families with young children  Only 2 house types – end and mid terrace  Identified that every participant could make savings Participants

The 10 top tips 1.Keep the Curtains drawn from Dusk. Do not let them fall over radiators as this will just direct the heat out of the window 2.Don’t heat rooms which are not used – either turn the heating off in the room, or down it down low 3.If you have a room thermostat, do not use the boiler stat. Leave the Boiler stat on high and operate the temperature from the room stat. 20 degrees is the maximum it should be set at. This keeps the house at a temperature that is comfortable and prevents cold related illnesses. 4.Turn off equipment when not in use including lights, chargers, TV’s Play stations etc. This includes turning appliance OFF standby 5.Where possible use a pressure cooker or slow cooker to cook food. The Slow Cooker uses less energy than any other cooking equipment. 6.Only fill the kettle with the amount of water needed, do not overfill. 7.Use low energy light bulbs wherever possible. LED lamps use a fraction of the energy of standard bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. They are more expensive than other lamps, but will save money from longer life and lower energy use. 8.Check bills against meter readings. Lend an energy display if possible and understand how much energy is used in different situations. This will help you low your energy consumption 9.Dry washing wherever possible outside, if bad weather means they need to be dried inside, don’t hang them direct on the radiators. Use a radiator hanger which will still let heat into the room but dries clothes at the same time. 10.Wash at a lower temperature. If your washing machine can be turned down to wash at 40 or even 30 degrees, use the function, it takes less time and uses less electricity in heating the water.

 A variety of households with different ages, numbers and length of time within the house  Surveys were carried out in all by an “Energy Expert” with bespoke advice provided  Data loggers installed to monitor temperatures  No fabric improvement measures given to households, but noted identified issues and problems Households

 10 top tips became 82 different activities  Over 35,500 postings  Repetitive tasks became embedded actions  Different lifestyles presented different opportunities Embedded actions

lights off 7182 purchased pegs for washing outside 1 meter readings/usage 351 eating cold food/drinks 535 all in one room to watch tv 76 not watching tv 321 thermal socks/slipper/dressing gown 1424 purchase/use of battery led lights 119 tips to others given offline 68 Radiator off/turned down 189 Sealant on windows/doors/floors 35 dishes washed with sink filled and temp down 248 heating on timer/turned down/off/on 488 hot drinks/food made in microwave 233 sweep floors rather than hoover 197 curtain over door (including purchasing and installation of rail and curtain) 528 Doors closed 8593 Kettle boiled using only water needed 1656 making up baby bottles with water needed 241 Hot water bottle used 235 plugs turned off at wall 5573 curtains closed and tucked in 1388 children making posters with energy saving reminders 5 curtains open 1173 hair drying naturally 637 draught excluder 761 staple excluders to the door 459 clothes horse/radiator/drier/air drier 320 washer on at Behaviours

 Change of TV watching habits  Watched more as a family and not separately  Increased levels of book reading  Board games used for first time in years  More family interaction  More communication between residents  Stopped being sacred of the dark A few unforeseen benefits (as posted on Facebook)

“Still in credit on my gas and electric, normally from today I’m just going into my emergency” “My house is normally freezing and I got used to it, but I’ve been doing different things to keep the heat in such as draught excluders and stuff, and it’s made a difference. Now I’m bloody boiling. In fact, the kids are moaning it’s too hot.” “Thanks to doing this ‪ # ‎ GOH my son has been turning his light off to help save pennies and has now just informed me he is no longer scared off the dark.” ‪ # ‎ GOH “I’m always in my emergency, and I find it really hard to get out of it. Today is normally the day I go into it, but I’ve still got over £4 on. I know I’ll go into it again this week but with the way things are going I’ll eventually get out of it and stay out of it.” “Although I’m using about £5 a day on gas this winter, when I was prepaid in previous winters I was putting at least double that on, and sometimes still going into the emergency. So it’s making a massive difference.” “I've always used my slow cooker but this game has encouraged me to use it more and I'm glad for about 5/6 quid tops I've fed me and the kids for 2 days in a row lol so I'm saving money on food too” Would just like to say thank you for all the help and advice from everyone to save money and be more energy efficient every little saved counts and can now say our home is much more aware of different ways we can do things every day Feedback

"Trying to save money, electric and gas But beings so cold is a pain in the ass. So all around the house I will go Looking around searching high and low For ways I can stop all the draughts And when you find them you think you're having a laugh, Gaps you can fit your hands through and holes in the floor Windows that wobble and a whole lot more But then you realise you can save By using a slow cooker and not a microwave Filling the kettle with only water needed The amount you save you won't believe it Draft excluders, slippers or socks All makes a difference and when opportunity knocks Make the change and let everyone know By posting on a game of homes Finally