Join us in the Energy Beehive game.

With the game in your hand, you can see how and when you can save energy. Several characters in the Energy Beehive game guide you through this adventure. They help you make smart changes in how you use energy. Which appliances use a lot of energy, and which ones leak small amounts? And do you know the best moments in the coming days to switch things on?

All households with a smart meter can join. Everyone is welcome in the Energy Beehive, no matter how you live: alone or with others, in a detached home or an apartment, in an older building or new construction, with or without solar panels.
Do you use a lot of gas or electricity? Have you already made your home more sustainable – or not yet? Are you a student, worker, or retired? All of you are players in the energy system.
Energy Beehive also explains topics like peak shaving, grid congestion, dynamic prices and smart planning in a simple way. This helps you understand how your own choices can support yourself and others.

Researchers at Utrecht University created this game to study several things:

• Behaviour: whether playing the game changes energy use.
• Empowerment: if participants feel more able to make decisions afterwards.
• Technology: whether the game platform, AI and models work as intended.

Households learn more about their energy use and the benefits of changing when and how they use energy. Researchers, governments, energy cooperatives and companies gain insight into how households play an active role in the energy transition. We share these insights with policymakers, the energy sector and the public. You always stay anonymous in these reports, unless you choose to share your story.
The pilot starts in February 2026 and runs until September 2026.

Will you play with us?

Click here to see how it works.

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