Flick Power Study

Flick Power is interested in a pilot to test the effectiveness of its communicating light switch technology that displays signals to residential consumers about the price of electricity.  While customers may have been transitioned to TOU rates, many do not know the hours that electricity is most expensive. Colored light signals have been proven to change behavior but in-home display devices that sit on a counter have typically been set aside after a couple of months. The utility and customers ’rates are programmed into the device. The device sends signals in the form of colored lights to show the price of electricity: green (lowest price), orange (moderate), and red (most expensive). It serves as a reminder that rates are high and nudges the customer to shift usage if they can hold off. Flick Power seeks to understand the effects of their device on consumer behavior, such as load shifting and curtailment. It is hypothesized that the device will facilitate consumers thinking more about energy use, especially when they use, that they better understand when the peak hours are and try to avoid them those hours and take more actions to reduce and shift. This project will utilize 216 devices previously installed by Flick, and examine usage and user attitudes across the 560 units of the Vista del Campo Norte community in Irvine, CA.

The Flick pilot evaluated the effectiveness of a color-coded smart device appended to a light switch designed to help residents of multifamily apartments understand and respond to time-of-use (TOU) electricity pricing. The Flick device replaces a standard plastic home light switch cover, or plate, and uses simple, easily recognizable visual cues—green indicating low-cost energy periods, blue for moderate-cost, and red for high-cost periods. Similar to previous in-home information devices tested across the industry (Brattle 2017), the device aims to address common challenges faced by customers who often find TOU pricing difficult to understand or recall, potentially leading to missed opportunities for saving energy and reducing electricity bills. The Flick differentiates itself by requiring no set-up or action from the occupants and is affixed to the building envelope to increase the likelihood of persistent education and use, avoiding pitfalls of other devices previously tested in the industry. For example, in a TOU energy display trial conducted by SDG&E, only about 20% of devices sent to customers were plugged in or activated—highlighting challenges with voluntary engagement and device setup, particularly among low- and moderate-income customers. These devices often ended up unused, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the "mean time to drawer." In contrast, Flick is installed as a default for all residents, requiring no customer action and overcoming key barriers to adoption and consistent use. The device does not require wiring or Wi-Fi, communicating independently on its own network, and was installed by building maintenance of multifamily communities. No devices were reported as damaged or inoperable during the pilot. While three wireless communication hubs were installed across the property to provide conservative signal coverage, occasional temporary disruptions occurred when one hub was inadvertently unplugged by maintenance staff. These instances were promptly resolved after notification. Importantly, device functionality was not impacted, as each unit is pre-programmed to follow a set schedule independently, and signal coverage was generally maintained even with one hub offline.Conducted in the fall of 2024 at an apartment complex in Buena Park, California, this pilot involved approximately 180 apartment units randomly assigned to either receive the Flick device or serve as a control group. The apartment complex is an affordable housing community designated for families earning 60% or less of the area median income. The primary objectives were to measure the effectiveness of the Flick device in encouraging residents to shift their electricity use away from peak-demand hours, and to evaluate overall energy-saving impacts.The evaluation found that the Flick device successfully motivated participants to shift energy use away from peak-demand hours (4 to 9 PM), achieving an average peak reduction of about 10.5%. Additionally, participants demonstrated overall daily energy savings averaging approximately 8.4%. These outcomes suggest that the Flick, with its permanent fixture and simple, intuitive visual signals integrated into daily routines can effectively prompt residents to adjust their energy use behavior, leading to lower energy bills and reduced strain on the electricity grid.The pilot involved a sample size of 180 residences and was conducted within the multifamily residential setting over a two-month period. Additionally, high tenant turnover during the pilot introduced challenges to accurately measuring and interpreting the device's impacts. Future pilot applications may consider larger participant groups, longer observation periods covering multiple seasons, and expansion into diverse housing settings such as low-to-moderate income housing and student housing. Despite its limitations, the pilot clearly demonstrates the potential for Flick’s placement and visual-based behavioral cues to play a significant role in residential load flexibility strategies.