A longitudinal study of informational interventions to save energy in an office building.

Workers in one office building got simple signs and notes about saving heat. The signs stayed up for two winters. The team checked if workers still saved energy one year later.

No extra rewards or money were offered. Just clear prompts placed where people would see them.

Energy waste dropped right away during both winters. One year after the signs came down, workers still used less heat than before the study started.

The drop was not perfect, but it held. Simple words on paper kept some savings alive.

Davol et al. (1977) first proved that daily prompts plus feedback can cut home electricity use. The new study moves the same idea into an office and still sees savings.

Annable et al. (1979) showed that letting families read their own meter saves 7% electricity. The office study skips self-monitoring and still wins, meaning prompts alone can work.

Van der Molen et al. (2010) added small rewards and saved about 15% in a college dorm. The office study kept rewards out, showing the prompt/feedback core is strong by itself.

You can cut utility bills tomorrow by posting clear heat-saving signs near thermostats. No tokens, no apps, no extra staff time. The gains may fade, but they do not crash to zero, so one cheap move can give months of benefit. Try it in any adult setting where you want quick, low-effort behavior change.