Abbreviations
Abbreviation in chart or caption
It’s OK to abbreviate words in charts and captions if needed. If it’s in body copy, use a period after the abbreviated word.
approx. 87 homes
34 avg.
Acct 1234567
kWh / thm
Abbreviation in body copy
In general, don’t abbreviate a word if there’s room to spell it out.
This is based on approximately 87 nearby homes.
Acronyms
Avoid acronyms when possible, unless the acronym is commonly understood by people in the target audience. If you have to use an acronym, make sure to spell it out in the first instance.
Acronym in client name
Follow the client’s conventions.
PG&E
Common acronyms
Don’t spell them out.
IRS
Industry jargon
Rewrite to avoid using an acronym. If that’s not possible, define the acronym the first time you use it.
smart meter
AMI (advanced meter infrastructure)
AMI
Acronyms in Opower internal communications
Use real words, people! Acronyms like WUM, PBU, and UUA in internal communications can be confusing, especially for new colleagues.
We started a list of product acronyms to keep track of the alphabet soup, but it’s much better if you just say what you mean.
Ampersands
In general, use the word “and” instead of an ampersand. Exception: You can use ampersands in buttons or places with very limited character counts.
View & Pay
Formatting
Bold
Use bold text with discretion—if everything’s bold, nothing stands out. If you’re using bold, choose helpful keywords. In general, it’s better to bold a phrase than a single word.
You used 30% more than your neighbors.
You’re eligible for a $50 rebate.
You’ll get up to 50% off.
Get a free home energy assessment.
Italic
In general, don’t use italic text.
All caps
Never use all caps for emphasis—it feels like shouting. Buttons are the exception.
Apostrophes
Make sure all apostrophes are actually apostrophes (’) and not inch marks ('). The difference is subtle, but apostrophes are curly and inch marks are straight.
You’re
You’re
Capitalization
Capitalization in headings and body copy
In general, use sentence case—start every sentence, heading, and phrase with the first letter capitalized.
Ways to save
Exception: If it’s a proper name or product name, capitalize each word.
Home Energy Report
Exception: Use title case for chart labels and tables.
Efficient Neighbors
Average Neighbors
Don’t capitalize
internet
web
website
Commas
Commas in a list
Use serial (Oxford) commas to separate all items in a list, including the last item.
Pay special attention to windows that face south, west, and east.
Commas to separate an aside
Use commas to separate asides. For important asides, you can also use em dashes.
Window coverings, like awnings or curtains, can reduce heat in your home.
Currency, costs
In general, round costs to the nearest dollar.
Insights and body copy
Round to the nearest dollar.
This costs you $34 per year.
Charts
Use round, logical increments for a chart’s Y axis.
$100, $200, $300
Savings and rebates
Round to the nearest $5.
Get a $65 rebate
Exceptions
For billing info or tooltips, show the exact amount.
$232.21
If showing energy rates, show the exact amount.
$0.31
If showing a range, use a hyphen with a space before and after (not an en dash). The dollar sign goes before both values.
$10 - $15
Date, time
Days and months
Short form: Abbreviate to 3 letters, no period.
Mon, Tue, Wed
Jan, Feb, Mar
Long form: Spell out in body copy, or whenever the day or month is framed by other words.
Please reduce energy use on Saturday, August 18.
Don’t use ordinals.
August 18
August 18th
Date ranges
If showing a range, use a hyphen with a space before and after (not en dash).
Dec 2014 - Jan 2015
Include years for both. Exception: Omit the year in tooltips if it appears somewhere else.
Jan 2, 2010 - Feb 4, 2011
Time, hours, minutes
Use “am” and “pm.” Don’t use spaces, periods, or capital letters.
2pm
Use figures, but spell out noon and midnight.
9am, noon, 6pm, midnight
In general, don’t show minutes.
2pm
Exception: Show minutes if it’s relevant.
Join your neighbors in reducing energy use from 2:30pm - 7:30m.
If showing a range, use a hyphen with a space before and after (not en dash).
9am - 7pm
Exclamation marks
In general, don’t use them. (!!!!!) OK, fine, you can use them sparingly. Overusing exclamations hurts the overall tone—it can make your communication seem unprofessional.
Also, keep in mind that using exclamation marks in an email makes it more likely to be flagged as spam.
Still not sure? Check out this handy chart.
Hyphen, dashes
Hyphen in a range of numbers
Include space before and after.
2pm - 7pm
1,000 - 1,500 sq ft
Hyphen between a word and number
post-1970
Hyphens in compound adjectives
Use if the compound adjective is before the term it modifies.
Get an energy-efficient furnace this winter
Printed on 10% post-consumer recycled paper using water-based inks
Don’t use a hyphen if the compound adjective is after the noun.
New ovens are very energy efficient
Energy-efficient vs. Energy efficient
Hyphenate this phrase when there’s a noun after it.
An energy-efficient furnace
Don’t hyphenate this phrase when there’s no following noun.
Make your house more energy efficient
Never hyphenate "energy efficiency".
Energy efficiency
Energy-saving vs. Energy saving
Hyphenate this phrase when it’s describing something that concretely saves energy.
Energy-saving habits
Don’t hyphenate this phrase when used as a noun.
Tips for energy savings
Don’t hyphenate this phrase when it’s used as a noun.
Energy saving tips
Email vs. E-mail
Don’t hyphenate email.
Counter-clockwise vs. Counterclockwise
Hyphenate as “counter-clockwise.”
Counter-clockwise
Pick-up vs. Pickup vs. Pick up
When used as a noun, it’s one word without hyphens.
Schedule a free pickup
When used as a verb, it’s two words.
UtilityCo will pick up your refrigerator.
Tune-up vs. Tune up
“Tune-up” is the noun.
You may qualify for a free AC tune-up from UtilityCo.
When used a verb, use two words. "Tuneup" (one word) is never correct.
A certified contractor will tune up your AC free of charge.
Step-by-step vs. Step by step
If used as a heading, don’t use hyphens (Step by step). When using the phrase as an adjective, use hyphens.
a step-by-step guide to saving energy
En dashes
In general, don’t use en dashes. To show a range, use a hyphen with a space before and after.
2pm - 7pm
Note: Yes, en dashes are technically correct in this case... but since people are more familiar with hyphens, we decided to prioritize consistency over technical accuracy.
Em dashes
Use at writer’s discretion.
Keep an eye out for future reports—you can track your progress over time.
Numbers
Number in headings and body copy
Use numerals.
You’re in the top 5!
Number in a chart
Use numerals. Don’t use ordinals.
Number to show rank
Use ordinals and superscript for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.
You’re the 4th most efficient home!
Number in a date
Don’t use ordinals in dates (3rd, 4th, etc.).
Jan 5
Jan 5th
Percentages
Use the percent symbol (%). Avoid using the word “percent.”
If showing a range, use a hyphen with a space before and after (not en dash). The percentage sign goes after the second value.
10 - 15%
Parentheses
Use them sparingly (at writer’s discretion). ← See? To avoid a parenthesis, you might try breaking into different sentences, using commas or em dashes, or removing the idea altogether.
If you decide to use a parenthetical aside, make sure it’s short.
Efficient neighbors use the least electricity (they’re the top 20%).
Periods
Periods in body copy
Use periods and punctuation. Incomplete sentences or phrases shouldn’t have punctuation at the end.
Periods in display heading
In general, use periods and punctuation.
Please join your neighbors in reducing energy use on August 18 from 2pm - 7pm.
Periods in hierarchical headings
Don’t use periods. Use question marks as needed.
Energy use trends
Billing history
How you’re doing
Ways to save
New! Home Energy Report
What’s next?
Periods in marketing module headings
In general, don’t use them (at writer’s discretion).
Phone number
This is a customizable field—in general, use the format the utility want to use. See examples on the wiki.
Default style
Use a parenthesis around the area code and a hyphen after the third number. Note the space between the area code and number.
(415) 222-2222
Another style for 1-800 numbers
In the U.S., the more common convention is to use hyphens instead of parentheses.
1-800-555-5555
When to use bold
Don’t use bold for phone numbers on web. It’s ok to bold phone numbers on paper reports, but use at your discretion—make sure it looks right in context.
Punctuation
For items not covered here, refer to the AP Stylebook.
Semicolons
In general, avoid semicolons; use them only when absolutely necessary. See how weird that was?
Temperature
If showing a range, the degree sign (°) and scale (C or F) go after the last value.
10 -15°F
Use a hyphen with a space before and after (not en dash).
Units of measurement
Use numerals and spell out inch, feet, mile. If there are space constraints, abbreviate in., ft., mi. Note: no periods after metric units m, cm, mm.
In general, round up. If you need to be more precise, use decimals, not fractions.
2 inches Alt: 2 in.
1.75 feet Alt: 1.75 ft.
4 miles Alt: 4 mi.
300 Therms Alt: 300 thm
1200 - 1400 square feet Alt: 1200 - 1400 sq. ft.
$35 per square foot
1 3/4 ft
2"
$35/sq.ft.
Exceptions:
For Hong Kong: Use sq ft for area and litres for water.
For United Arab Emirates: Abbreviate all units.
kWh, kilowatt
When abbreviated, use a capital W.
Therm, thm
Use a capital T in Therms. If abbreviated, it’s thm.
Therms
thm
Units (combined gas/electric)
Units represent a combination of electricity (kWh) and natural gas (Therms). This comparison is based on approx. 100 homes most similar to yours.