What this project is really about
Every household uses energy—switching on lights, cooking meals, running gadgets—but most of us rarely ask: Where does it all go, and how can we save more? In this project, students become household energy detectives, using real-life data like electricity bills, gas refills, or piped gas usage to track patterns and spot waste. They’ll design simple low-code apps or dashboards to help families’ budget better, cut costs, and optimize energy use. Along the way, students connect their work to economics concepts like consumption, budgeting, and opportunity cost, while also advancing SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). The challenge is to turn everyday numbers into tools that make homes smarter, greener, and lighter on the wallet. Problem Statement Households often struggle to keep track of their monthly energy expenses. Electricity and fuel usage goes unnoticed until the bill arrives. Without clear tracking, families may overspend, waste resources, and miss opportunities to save. Students will tackle this problem by using real household data to design simple solutions for better energy management—building practical connections between economics, sustainability, and technology. Deliverables • A household energy logbook (electricity, cooking fuel, etc.) compiled by students. • Data analysis report on past consumption trends and areas of high/low efficiency. • A prototype low-code app/dashboard (e.g., in Excel, Google Sheets, or beginner-friendly app builders) to track energy usage and suggest budgeting/savings. Learning Outcomes • Understand household energy consumption patterns and their impact on sustainability. • Learn the basics of data analysis (collecting, visualizing, and interpreting data). • Apply economics concepts such as scarcity, budgeting, opportunity cost, and efficient resource use. • Gain exposure to low-code app development as a tool for problem-solving. • Practice budgeting and financial literacy linked to real-life expenses.
What you'll walk away knowing how to do
This project isn't about memorising facts. It's about building capabilities that transfer — to your next project, your next class, and beyond.
Learn from someone who does this for a living
You're not learning from a textbook. You're learning from a practitioner.
Lurion De Mello
Macquarie Business School
Lurion De Mello brings real-world expertise and professional depth to this project, guiding students through every phase with insight that goes beyond the classroom.
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