Peak App—Ontario Energy Board
Old habits are tough to change, especially in energy consumption. Understanding energy usage and its impact on household budget and the environment is key. Changing behavior takes time, but with increasing self-awareness, better decisions can be made. The power to make these decisions is at your fingertips.
Awards
—Stevie Awards
—Mobile Excellence Awards
—The Drum Mobile Awards
Background
Today’s growing energy demand and consumption is putting a huge stress on the power grid. To combat the problem, the Ontario Energy Board launched time-of-use pricing. The idea was that by charging people different rates during different times, people would spread their energy usage ideally to cheaper, off-peak hours. Problem was, people weren’t significantly changing their habits.
Process
Key stakeholders & UX/Visual Designers aligned on reqs & features early on. Daily collaboration defined & refined framework, UI patterns & art direction. Tech/data-heavy, made light & fun w/ bold art direction, clear UI & uplifting copy. Clear info presentation & fun alerts keep users engaged.
Outcome
Peak, the innovative app, leverages data to uncover energy usage patterns and the impact on hydro bills. With real-time insights by hour, day, week, and month, users can track their consumption and make informed decisions. The app combines utility, weather, and personal data to tailor recommendations and help optimize energy savings.
Ontario Energy Board customers saw significant energy savings with Peak, becoming more conscious of their usage. The app delivered impressive reductions in energy consumption across all times of use, including winter and summer. The project exceeded its goal of 4-6% energy savings.
Established a confident and engaging visual vocabulary with a vibrant color palette, custom illustrations, and bold typeface for a distinct and inviting personality.
Bespoke illustration
Illustrations add visual appeal and depict energy usage by neighborhood.
Flexible design system
Implemented a modular, flexible design system.
The experience
Monthly view of your electricity consumption activity. A dark mode kicks in at nighttime emphasizing the concept of power and electricity efficiency.
Customers are provided various notifications and energy saving tips. To help excite and motivate, badges can also be earned.
The app provides users with a clear and digestible bill to easily understand when their electricity is being used and how they are being charged.
Actionable notifications
Level-up
Badges keep users motivated and encourage positive change.
“Awesome program, fun challenging our household to do better in the rankings, we went from being ranked last, to second, with a few first place days.”
—Customer review