The digital transformation of the energy sector and the rise of smart home technologies are creating new opportunities to visualize and manage household electricity consumption. While the technical potential of IoT-based energy displays is well known, their practical effectiveness often depends on how information is presented to users. In this work, we explore how tangible IoT devices can be designed to reflect behavioral economics principles – such as salience, framing, and simplicity – to encourage sustained engagement, promote energy-saving behavior, and support practical use. We developed and deployed three functionally minimal IoT displays, each offering distinct forms of feedback (e.g., color, text, notifications) tied to energy data. To evaluate them, we conducted a three-week exploratory field study in six households, including 18 in-depth interviews. Our analysis offers insights into how tangible energy displays can promote awareness and engagement in everyday settings, and how specific design choices shape interaction. The findings contribute to the design of human-centered IoT systems for sustainable domestic energy use.

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