Wattsup?: Motivating reductions in domestic energy consumption using social networks

Derek Foster; Shaun Lawson; Mark Blythe; Paul Cairns

doi:10.1145/1868914.1868938

Wattsup? Motivating reductions in domestic energy consumption using social networks

Derek Foster^*, Shaun Lawson, Mark Blythe, Paul Cairns

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

120 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper reports on the design, deployment and evaluation of "Wattsup", an innovative application which displays live autonomously logged data from the Wattson energy monitor, allowing users to compare domestic energy consumption on Facebook. Discussions and sketches from a workshop with Facebook users were used to develop a final design implemented using the Facebook API. Wattson energy monitors and the Wattsup app were deployed and trialled in eight homes over an eighteen day period in two conditions. In the first condition participants could only access their personal energy data, whilst in the second they could access each others' data to make comparisons. A significant reduction in energy was observed in the socially enabled condition. Comments on discussion boards and semi-structured interviews with the participants indicated that the element of competition helped motivate energy savings. The paper argues that socially-mediated banter and competition made for a more enjoyable user experience.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	NordiCHI 2010
Subtitle of host publication	Extending Boundaries - Proceedings of the 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction
Place of Publication	New York, NY, United States
Publisher	ACM
Pages	178-187
Number of pages	10
ISBN (Print)	9781605589343
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1145/1868914.1868938
Publication status	Published - 16 Oct 2010
Externally published	Yes
Event	6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction: Extending Boundaries, NordiCHI 2010 - Reykjavik, Iceland Duration: 16 Oct 2010 → 20 Oct 2010

Publication series

Name	NordiCHI 2010: Extending Boundaries - Proceedings of the 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction

Conference

Conference	6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction: Extending Boundaries, NordiCHI 2010
Country/Territory	Iceland
City	Reykjavik
Period	16/10/10 → 20/10/10

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

Competitive energy saving
Persuasive technology
Social networking
Sustainability
User experience

Access to Document

10.1145/1868914.1868938

Cite this

Foster, D., Lawson, S., Blythe, M., & Cairns, P. (2010). Wattsup? Motivating reductions in domestic energy consumption using social networks. In NordiCHI 2010: Extending Boundaries - Proceedings of the 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 178-187). (NordiCHI 2010: Extending Boundaries - Proceedings of the 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction). ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/1868914.1868938

Foster, Derek ; Lawson, Shaun ; Blythe, Mark et al. / Wattsup? Motivating reductions in domestic energy consumption using social networks. NordiCHI 2010: Extending Boundaries - Proceedings of the 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. New York, NY, United States : ACM, 2010. pp. 178-187 (NordiCHI 2010: Extending Boundaries - Proceedings of the 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction).

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abstract = "This paper reports on the design, deployment and evaluation of {"}Wattsup{"}, an innovative application which displays live autonomously logged data from the Wattson energy monitor, allowing users to compare domestic energy consumption on Facebook. Discussions and sketches from a workshop with Facebook users were used to develop a final design implemented using the Facebook API. Wattson energy monitors and the Wattsup app were deployed and trialled in eight homes over an eighteen day period in two conditions. In the first condition participants could only access their personal energy data, whilst in the second they could access each others' data to make comparisons. A significant reduction in energy was observed in the socially enabled condition. Comments on discussion boards and semi-structured interviews with the participants indicated that the element of competition helped motivate energy savings. The paper argues that socially-mediated banter and competition made for a more enjoyable user experience.",

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author = "Derek Foster and Shaun Lawson and Mark Blythe and Paul Cairns",

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Foster, D, Lawson, S , Blythe, M & Cairns, P 2010, Wattsup? Motivating reductions in domestic energy consumption using social networks. in NordiCHI 2010: Extending Boundaries - Proceedings of the 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. NordiCHI 2010: Extending Boundaries - Proceedings of the 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, ACM, New York, NY, United States, pp. 178-187, 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction: Extending Boundaries, NordiCHI 2010, Reykjavik, Iceland, 16/10/10. https://doi.org/10.1145/1868914.1868938

Wattsup? Motivating reductions in domestic energy consumption using social networks. / Foster, Derek; Lawson, Shaun ; Blythe, Mark et al.
NordiCHI 2010: Extending Boundaries - Proceedings of the 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. New York, NY, United States: ACM, 2010. p. 178-187 (NordiCHI 2010: Extending Boundaries - Proceedings of the 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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AU - Cairns, Paul

PY - 2010/10/16

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N2 - This paper reports on the design, deployment and evaluation of "Wattsup", an innovative application which displays live autonomously logged data from the Wattson energy monitor, allowing users to compare domestic energy consumption on Facebook. Discussions and sketches from a workshop with Facebook users were used to develop a final design implemented using the Facebook API. Wattson energy monitors and the Wattsup app were deployed and trialled in eight homes over an eighteen day period in two conditions. In the first condition participants could only access their personal energy data, whilst in the second they could access each others' data to make comparisons. A significant reduction in energy was observed in the socially enabled condition. Comments on discussion boards and semi-structured interviews with the participants indicated that the element of competition helped motivate energy savings. The paper argues that socially-mediated banter and competition made for a more enjoyable user experience.

AB - This paper reports on the design, deployment and evaluation of "Wattsup", an innovative application which displays live autonomously logged data from the Wattson energy monitor, allowing users to compare domestic energy consumption on Facebook. Discussions and sketches from a workshop with Facebook users were used to develop a final design implemented using the Facebook API. Wattson energy monitors and the Wattsup app were deployed and trialled in eight homes over an eighteen day period in two conditions. In the first condition participants could only access their personal energy data, whilst in the second they could access each others' data to make comparisons. A significant reduction in energy was observed in the socially enabled condition. Comments on discussion boards and semi-structured interviews with the participants indicated that the element of competition helped motivate energy savings. The paper argues that socially-mediated banter and competition made for a more enjoyable user experience.

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Foster D, Lawson S , Blythe M, Cairns P. Wattsup? Motivating reductions in domestic energy consumption using social networks. In NordiCHI 2010: Extending Boundaries - Proceedings of the 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. New York, NY, United States: ACM. 2010. p. 178-187. (NordiCHI 2010: Extending Boundaries - Proceedings of the 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction). doi: 10.1145/1868914.1868938