24 hours / 2023 / UX Designer
Octopus Energy
24-Hour Hackathon
CONTEXT
Octopus Energy, much like its namesake, is flexible and adaptive, wrapping its many "tentacles" around the world of renewable energy. They have hosted a 24-hour hackathon, bringing together a diverse and talented team of 8 members, including 2 data scientists, 3 UX designers, and 3 software engineers
OUR GOAL
Many users struggle to understand complex tariff structures and lack awareness of peak pricing, leading to inefficient energy use. Our goal was to simplify this process and encourage greener energy habits by making real-time tracking accessible and incentivising smarter consumption.
THE PROBLEM
Not Enough Users Making Green Choices
How can we power our homes with 100% renewable energy?
Octopus Energy already provides the Octopus Home Mini, a tool for tracking real-time energy usage and spending via smartphones. However, we discovered two major challenges:
Awareness Gap: Many users are unaware of peak pricing periods.
Complex Tariffs: Customers often feel overwhelmed by intricate tariff structures.
Our goal was clear: simplify this process and provide incentives that encourage users to shift their energy consumption habits—helping them save money while making greener choices.
Coral 8: Where Ideas Connect.
Our team name, Coral 8, perfectly represents our group of 8 members. "Coral" relates to the ocean, tying back to Octopus Energy's theme, while "Coral 8" sounds like "correlate," symbolizing how our ideas align in harmony.
RESEARCH & DEFINE
Lack of motivation to exercise
What Our Data Scientists Found:
The data scientists discovered that the average energy demand is higher during non-holiday periods compared to holiday periods. Users tend to consume more electricity when it's not a holiday.
Key Insights
Through our desk research, we identified three main challenges that users face when trying to transition to green energy:
PEAK PRICING CONFUSION
Users don’t fully understand how peak pricing affects their bills
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
There’s a knowledge gap around renewable energy benefits and how users can optimise
LIMITED MOTIVATION
Without clear incentives, users are hesitant to change their habits
DESIGN FOCUS
We focused on incentivising users to shift energy consumption to off-peak times when renewable energy is abundant, helping them save money and adopt greener habits. To address rising energy costs, we introduced personalized rewards tailored to user needs, making sustainability more accessible and financially beneficial.
“I don’t really care about sustainability because I have bigger things to worry about... I need to make ends meet so I don’t know if my current energy provider meets my needs.”
ABOUT
She spends a lot of time working from home. She resides independently in a cozy suburban apartment, and she is conscious of her energy bills as she is quite tight on her budget.
BEHAVIOURS
Works from home most of the time, increasing her energy usage (uses Octopus Energy).
Lives alone in a small suburban flat and carefully monitors her budget.
FRUSTRATIONS
Rising energy costs despite her efforts to cut back.
Unclear understanding of how energy tariffs affect her bills.
Struggles to find reliable information on ways to reduce her energy costs.
ACTIONS
Actively searches for ways to lower her monthly bills and is considering switching providers to explore cost-saving options.
KEYWORD
SIMPLICITY
SAVING ON MONTHLY BILLS
CLARITY IN ENERGY USE
ENERRGY TRANSPARENCY
HOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Leading with Innovation and Transparency
Octopus Energy stands out for its flexible, transparent pricing using time-of-use tariffs and strong commitment to 100% green electricity, supporting solar and wind projects. Their standout feature is Agile Octopus, a real-time pricing tool. Known for excellent, responsive customer service, Octopus delivers a seamless experience that blends smart energy use with user empowerment.
Reliable but Less Green
British Gas offers both fixed and variable pricing plans and provides smart home energy management tools. While it does support renewable options, the percentage of green energy is comparatively lower. Customer service receives mixed reviews, indicating room for improvement in responsiveness and support quality.
Diverse Plans with Growing Green Commitment
E.ON provides a wide range of pricing options including fixed, variable, and time-of-use tariffs. The company is in the process of transitioning to greener energy through investments in wind and solar. Customer feedback is mixed, highlighting both praise and concerns. E.ON also promotes smart home technology for efficient energy management.
Simple and Sustainable
Bulb keeps things straightforward with a single, affordable tariff and offers 100% renewable electricity along with carbon-neutral gas. Their platform is designed to be easy to use, and their customer service is recognised for being user-friendly and responsive, making them an accessible green energy provider.
Balancing Innovation and Tradition
EDF offers fixed, variable, and tracker tariffs while focusing on low-carbon solutions, including nuclear and renewable sources. They provide smart meters and energy management tools, though customer service experiences vary. EDF takes a hybrid approach, blending established infrastructure with gradual green investment.
Standing Out in a Crowded Market
When compared to competitors like British Gas, E.ON, and Bulb, Octopus Energy stands out for its transparent pricing, 100% renewable energy focus, and strong, recognizable brand.
While others offer competitive tariffs and smart home solutions, Octopus Energy’s brand loyalty and identity give it an edge. Our analysis highlighted opportunities to further simplify pricing and enhance customer engagement through personalized rewards and advice, ensuring it remains ahead of the competition.
IDEATION
Monetary Gains as a Motivator
Brainstorming
We focused on leveraging monetary incentives to attract new customers while promoting energy-efficient habits. This direction resonated strongly with the goal of simplifying user engagement and encouraging greener choices.
Wireframing
Our team quickly translated these ideas into sketches, exploring layouts and interactions that emphasised financial savings as a core motivator for driving user engagement and adoption.
SOLUTION
Empowering Sarah to Save Smarter
Optimal Energy Usage Visualisation
By enabling users to identify opportunities to save money with green energy, we meet their needs for competence, autonomy, and connection.
This functionality allows users to make informed choices about their energy usage, strengthening their sense of independence.
Personalised Savings Goal
Introducing personalized savings targets and showcasing rewards tied to energy-saving milestones taps into the gamification principle of achievement and rewards.
Meeting these goals gives users a sense of fulfillment, while the tangible benefits of their savings further motivate mindful energy consumption.
Progression Bar
& Energy Usage Tracking
The progression bar visualizing users' energy-saving progress leverages the gamification principle of progress, boosting motivation as accomplishments are displayed.
Weekly and monthly bar charts offer insights into consumption patterns, fostering competence and autonomy by helping users identify areas for improvement.
Energy-Saving Tips
Practical energy-saving tips enhance the gamification experience by giving users actionable steps to improve energy efficiency.
This empowers them to take control, fostering competence and autonomy, while applying these tips contributes to their sense of accomplishment and motivation.
Our solution empowers Sarah by offering:
REAL-TIME INSIGHTS
Clear visualisations of energy consumption patterns help Sarah make informed decisions about her energy use.
REWARDS & PROGRESSION
A system tailored to her achievements provides a strong incentive to sustain energy-saving habits.
SEAMLESS INTEGRATION
Practical, time-efficient energy-saving tips fit into Sarah’s busy schedule, enabling her to adopt eco-friendly practices effortlessly.
How Our Solution Helps The Market
RENEWABLE ENERGY INTEGRATION & COST SAVINGS
Encourages optimal green energy use, reinforcing Octopus Energy’s sustainable brand identity
CUSTOMER-CENTRIC APPROACH
Personalized rewards inspire user engagement and financial savings
TRANSPARENCY & EMPOWERMENT
Progression bars and tracking foster trust and user control
DATA-DRIVEN PERSONALISATION
Tailored subscriptions offer unique customer experiences
INNOVATIVE GAMIFICATION
Gamified elements make energy-saving engaging and rewarding
COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY SOLUTION
Combines real-time tracking with actionable tips for holistic energy management
BRAND DIFFERENTIATION
Positions Octopus Energy as a sustainability partner, emphasising impact and savings
DELIVER
The Final Hurdle: Presenting to the Panel
Presentation to Panel
The final hurdle was presenting our solution to the judges from Octopus Energy. With only 10 minutes to summarize our 24-hour challenge, we delivered a concise, compelling presentation that addressed technical questions and highlighted our process, showcasing both passion and team unity.
Feedback From Octopus ENergy
"It feels like UX Design took the lead on this product. It looks really good and clear to navigate with an interesting concept to gamify the app."
"UI is clear and not cluttered, while keeping within the boundaries of the brand. The designs thoughtfully maintained simplicity and user-friendliness, aligning seamlessly with industry standards—a job well done!"
"Love the suggestions to save energy section. The energy-saving tips are in the right direction and resonate with the customer base without crossing familiarity boundaries. The tone of voice in these cards is on-brand too."
"Your incorporation of behavioral psychology and user incentives within the theme resonated well with our ongoing internal research."
"Centering the solution around customer incentives and gamification is a great idea and aligns with what the company is already pursuing."