Verdant

Verdant Energy supplies renewable electricity to more than 300,000 homes in Portugal and Spain. Many of its customers have smart meters and rooftop solar, but almost none of them looked at their data. Verdant wanted an app that would help people use cleaner, cheaper energy without turning them into energy analysts.

The challenge

The data was rich, and the existing dashboard showed all of it: half-hourly charts, tariffs, export rates and carbon intensity. Customers found it impressive and then ignored it. Engagement fell to almost nothing after the first week.

What we learned

Diary studies with twenty households showed that people don't think in kilowatt-hours. They think in moments: running the dishwasher, charging the car, doing the laundry on a Sunday. The most useful thing the app could do was tell them when those moments would be cheapest and cleanest.

The approach

We replaced the dashboard with a single daily view: a ring that shows how much of today's energy came from the sun, and a short forecast of the best hours to use power. Gentle suggestions, such as “Run the washing machine before 3pm, it's sunny until then”, replaced charts nobody read. The detailed data is still there for anyone who wants it, one tap away.

I designed the app and built its front end with Verdant's engineers, including the charts, which we drew in code so they stay crisp and accessible on any screen.

The outcome

Within six months, more than half of customers were opening the app every week. Households following the suggestions moved almost a third of their evening use into the sunniest hours and saved an average of 11% on their bills.