Powershop – Pond Party

Case study

Powershop – Pond Party

Help Goldie, a climate vulnerable Green and Golden Bell Frog prepare her pond for a party. The more sustainable your energy use is, the better the story becomes!

Background

As Australia’s greenest power company, Powershop are committed to the environment and ensuring it can be enjoyed by generations to come. After the devasting effects of the Australian bushfires, Powershop wanted to educate and inspire families to take climate action by making more sustainable energy decisions. Something that has become increasingly important with families spending more time at home using energy due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Tension

When most Australians feel powerless to do anything about climate change, how do we inspire them to change their energy consumption behaviours and make a difference?

Approach

An interactive kids book that responds to energy consumption via smart meter data. The more sustainable your home’s energy use is, the better the story becomes.

Kids and parents get to help Goldie, a climate vulnerable Green and Golden Bell Frog, prepare her pond for a party by inviting other climate vulnerable friends, catching food and even making party music, all while learning valuable energy lessons. When they return to read the next day, the book uses their household’s smart meter data to determine whether their family has been more or less sustainable with their energy usage. If they’ve been better with their energy, the pond and the party get better. If their energy use has increased, Goldie’s pond and the party become a bit less fun.

In a time when social isolation is leading to more power usage at home, it’s hoped that the book can serve as an engaging tool to help shape more sustainable household energy behaviours.

“By creating a tool that visually demonstrates the impact that energy usage has on the environment and giving people simple tips and tricks on what they can do to change it, Powershop is able to distinguish itself as a brand is all about helping save the planet”
-Contagious