In-situ evaluation of a "What if" approach for eco-feedback

Decreasing electricity consumption is a major challenge of our society. Eco-feedback methods allow users to get information about their electricity consumption to reduce it. However it is still difficult to determine what are the actions that impact the consumption in practice. In this paper we suggest to apply a What if approach to eco-feedback in a household context. We deploy the Activelec system in personal housings, which allows to apply virtual modifications in appliances usage and to evaluate the savings realized. The results of our experimentation show that participants appreciated the interaction method based on the What if. It allowed them to find and to evaluate efficient modifications in their appliances usage, and several have been applied in practice by the participants. This experimentation shows that the What if paradigm is a potential way for eco-feedback technologies.