Page 164 - ITU-T Focus Group Digital Financial Services – Executive Summary

2.3 Results

The project is demonstrating how social awareness and dynamic pricing instruments can modify the
behaviour of water users. A quantifiable reduction of water consumption is expected, especially in drought
periods, when water is scarcer. Water utilities can therefore assess the impact of smart metering to improve
the efficiency of their operations. The preliminary results of applying the incentive models for behavioural
change in the project suggest the connection between the incentive and the behavioural change process.
The observed positive effects on water consumption and user attitudes will be more closely assessed in the
continuation of the project. Citizens are proactively engaged by means of cooperative awareness tools, such
as water consumption profiling and feedback, persuasive games for behaviour change, and computer-
supported community work and can easily read their water consumption by connecting to their own page
on the project platform. It increases awareness and with the gamification actions it also changes the
consumers’ behaviour and brings significant water savings.

3 Conclusions

The SmartH20 project (2014-2017) is still ongoing. The SmartH20 project wants to deliver an Information
Communications Technology (ICT) platform to provide support on the one side to water utilities in
determining optimal water pricing and on the other side to consumers in changing their water consumption
habits, while at the same time contributing to a more efficient use of water. This is done with the integration
of smart metering, social computation, dynamic water pricing, and consumer behavioural models.
Furthermore, the SmartH20 project stresses the importance of innovation in the water sector by coupling
smart meter technologies with innovative end-user services which could help realise better water
management. This is achieved through rewards, automation and information which are useful to study,
understand and modify consumer behaviour so as to raise consumer awareness and thus save water
resources while improving the efficiency and business operations of water companies.

A References

J.J. Harou , P. Garrone , A. E. Rizzoli, A. Maziotisa, A. Castelletti, P. Fraternalid, J. Novakh, R. Wissmann-Alvesf,
P.A. Ceschig, “Smart Metering, Water Pricing and Social Media to Stimulate Residential Water Efficiency:
Opportunities for the SmartH2O Project”, Procedia Engineering, Volume 89, 2014, Elsevier, Pages 1037-1043

Novak, J., Melenhorst, M., Micheel, I., Pasini, C., Fraternali, P., Rizzoli, A.E., 2016. Behaviour change and
incentive modelling for water saving: first experiences from the SmartH2O project. Proceedings of the 8th
International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software – iEMSs 2016, Toulouse (France)

Interview to Emilio Rizzoli, coordinator of the project. Retrieved from http://www.rsi.ch/rete-
uno/programmi/intrattenimento/il-bello-della-vita/Lacqua-e-lordine-2214455.html

Smart H2O. Retrieved 16 February 2017 from http://www.smarth2o-fp7.eu/.

This case study has been prepared by:
Domenica Carriero(OiER)

160 U4SSC series