People loathe energy companies; only one in six Brits trusts them to work in their best interests. And yet, as smart meters become the norm, customers are choosing tariffs that give them less control, handing the reigns back to the providers. So what’s going on?

Despite the fact that three-quarters of Brits say they want to switch to renewables, just 1% of homes have chosen to be supplied by 100% renewable energy. Enter Bulb. This green energy supplier wants to change how we think about utilities, and help people realise that switching can be easy.

People are still confused by their energy bills, and with the ‘Big Six’ scoring 50% or less for customer satisfaction, there’s a distrust around the energy industry. Tempus promises to lower bills by managing your appliances, but will people allow an energy company to control their dishwasher?

We all feel a desire to win, whether that’s for self-validation or a gold medal. But a focus on ‘the win’ oversimplifies the real reasons we enter contests. Canvas8 sat down with Dr. Francesco Duina, author ofWinning: Reflections on an American Obsession, to understand our competitive nature.