An exploration of how to use behavioural quirks to nudge people towards sustainable actions: The last great untapped area behind technological and legislative solutions (and a hell of a lot cheaper too).
55. “ One remarkable note about both the hotel towel messages and the utility smiley faces: neither approach had ever been tried by the industries. It was not a process of trial and error. The techniques that radically boosted efficacy were a direct result of social psychological theory.” Making buildings more efficient: It helps to understand human behavior | Grist.org
60. Real results where OPOWER Home Energy Reporting system has been implemented, it has consistently and predictably delivered between 1.5% and 3.5% in average energy savings across the entire targeted population
61. Real interest Finalist for Discovery Channel's 2010 Edison Awards CEO's live interview on Fox Business Featured in USA Today In Washington Post as "best example of climate psychology in action" David Cameron, highlights OPOWER at TED2010 “ The next age of government”
66. Making buildings more efficient: It helps to understand human behavior | Grist.org “ Tim Stout, vice-president of energy efficiency at [Massachusetts utility] National Grid, admits that most of the company’s efforts toward conservation have been tied to infrastructure and hardware… ‘When we look at the remaining potential for efficiency,’ Stout says, ‘changing consumer behavior is the next wave of savings that needs to be tapped.’”
68. How to do it – in 5 points 1. Ask people to indicate the extent to which they think energy efficiency is a good thing (engage cool, calm, rational brain) 2. Make it a public (likely to be consistent with it) 3. Focus on what stands to be lost instead of what stands to be gained (loss aversion is strong) 4. Tell them what their neighbors are doing (social norms) 5. Tell them what experts are saying (Authority effect means people likely to obey and believe experts) Never mind what people believe—how can we change what they do? A chat with Robert Cialdini