Designing Conversational Agents for Energy Feedback

Reducing and shifting energy consumption could contribute significantly to a more sustainable use of energy in households. Studies have shown that the provision of feedback can encourage consumers to use energy more sustainably. While there is wide variety of energy feedback solutions ranging from in-home displays to mobile applications, there is a lack of research on whether and how conversational agents can provide energy feedback to promote sustainable energy use. As conversational agents, such as chatbots, promise a natural and intuitive user interface, they may have great potential for energy feedback. This paper explores how to design conversational agents for energy feedback and proposes design principles based on existing literature. The design principles are instantiated in a text-based conversational agent and evaluated in a focus group session with industry experts. We contribute with valuable design knowledge that extends previous research on the design of energy feedback solutions.

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