Simple Energy looks to social gaming to make efficiency 'fun'

Simple Energy, a company that uses social gaming to encourage energy efficiency, is using Tendril’s Connect platform to help utilities engage customers in saving energy through online play.

San Diego Gas & Electric is already offering Simple Energy’s application via Tendril Connect as part of the Biggest Energy Saver campaign launched by a group of companies this past June.

Tendril announced its Connect Platform Application Developer Program earlier this summer. The program gives developers access to more than 35 utilities and energy service providers serving a total market of some 70 million households across three continents.

“What we love about Simple Energy is that they’ve used our platform to create a highly compelling online game that leverages ‘gamification’ and competition along with the power of social media to get consumers to take a more active role in managing their energy use,” said Kent Dickson, chief technology officer of Tendril.

Simple Energy’s social gaming platform is designed to get people to save energy using the mobile and social web. The platform takes customers’ real-time energy data and normalizes it so they can compete fairly in improved energy savings.

The company is a recent graduate of TechStars, a startup business accelerator program that incubates promising new technology companies.

Simple Energy aims to engage people where they spend their time, whether it is on Facebook, a mobile phone or email, and provides both virtual and real-world incentives for participating. Customers receive customized energy saving tips on a regular basis and can monitor progress through leader boards.

“Integrating our app with the Tendril Connect cloud platform was a no-brainer for us,” said Yoav Lurie, founder and CEO of Simple Energy. “Tendril has built a terrific platform that can give us access to major stakeholders, including utilities, consumers, meter makers and other players in the energy ecosystem … We’re leveraging Tendril’s investment in the underlying technology and integrations to change how utilities engage their consumers.”