User Personas
Through our interviews and research, we identified two primary user groups. Although they have different goals and constraints, both share a need that is missing in the market: clear, actionable advice on how to reduce their energy consumption.
Michelle
Michelle owns her apartment and has the autonomy to renovate. She views improvements as long-term investments that increase property value and energy efficiency. She wants enough information available to make confident decisions, and responds strongly to economic incentives.
Primary motivation: Financial return on renovation investment
Key need: Reliable cost-benefit projections before committing to structural changes
Barrier: Too much conflicting information; no single source combines real consumption data with personalised recommendations
James
James rents his flat and cannot make structural changes. He relies on everyday habits and smarter subscription choices to reduce his bills. He is cost-driven above all, but open to sustainability if it comes with concrete savings.
Primary motivation: Lowering monthly electricity bills
Key need: Simple comparisons, "Is my consumption normal for a flat like mine?"
Barrier: Existing tools are too technical or focused on renovations he cannot do
What They Have in Common
Despite their different situations, Michelle and James were both incentivised primarily by costs rather than climate considerations alone, a finding consistently confirmed across our interviews. Both were confused by their electricity bills and struggled to understand what "normal" consumption looks like for a home like theirs.
Neither needed a dashboard full of technical indicators. What they needed was a tool that could answer one clear question: What can I swap to save money, and how much will it actually make a difference?
"If buyers love the apartment they 'won't give a shit' about the DPE label."
These quotes from our interviews capture the tension at the heart of ÉcoWatt: people care about their bills first, and the environment second, but a well-designed tool can make both goals align naturally.