Energy Customer Conference: all change for energy

When it comes to customers service, the energy sector knows that transformation is the only way forward. Saffron Johnson reports.

The energy industry entered 2016 with a sense of anticipation. Energy companies are waiting on the final proposals from the CMA, and the smart meter rollout is at last beginning, both of which could change the energy landscape. For speakers at the Utility Week Energy Customer Conference in Birmingham, sponsored by Unipart, transformation was the common topic they brought to the stage.

Speakers agreed that technology presents an opportunity for the industry to reset its relationship with customers. First Utility’s chief operations officer, Phil Gripton, talked about the need to communicate with customers using new channels.

Claire Maugham, director of policy and communications at Smart Energy GB, which heads the national smart meter campaign, talked about how customers’ experience of the energy industry can be improved by smart technology.

The consensus was that communication, whether through digital channels, social media or over the phone, was the most important tool in providing a good service to customers. Toni Calder, marketing and communications manager for UK Power Networks, noted the increasing importance of social media because it “creates a lot of engagement really fast”.

Rebecca Sedler director of B2B at EDF Energy, said the future of successful customer-provider relationships was the sharing of information with customers, working towards a “data-led future”.

Ofgem partner Rob Salter-Church explained that “prescriptive rules and regulation” could be a barrier to innovation, but he expected the rules to “change significantly to allow for innovation and new technology”.

Other speakers, including Daniel Walker-Nolan from Citizens Advice, Maureen McIntosh from SGN, and Eileen Brown from Northern Gas Networks, agreed that greater trust means people will be more amenable to things like the smart meter rollout.

Simon Everidge, head of sector for utilities at Unipart Expert Practices, suggested that engagement was one “vital ingredient” for driving high levels of customer service. Often used in reference to the aims of the CMA investigation, engagement also encompasses the overall objective of the sector’s hard work.

Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service, looked to the future of customer service and engagement, stating that her “vision is that the UK is seen as the place to experience great customer service”.

The speakers throughout the conference supported Ofgem’s Salter-Church, who predicted that the energy market is “at an inflection point… on the brink of a transformational change”.

Phil Gripton, chief operations officer, First Utility

“We need to communicate with them on a channel that they choose. Give them knowledge and insight about their usage, then we can integrate those pieces together and people start to feel like we are a partner, rather than a provider.”

Claire Maugham, director of policy and communications, Smart Energy GB

“There is light at the end of the tunnel. Some people are not engaged by how their experience of the energy industry can be improved by smart technology. For the people who think smart meters sound good, we are driving awareness. For those for whom it’s not a priority, we need to open up their imagination and prove that smart meters are worth it.”

Jo Causon, chief executive, Institute of Customer Service

“We don’t want research, we want insight. This sector has a huge opportunity to really innovate. My view of what smart meters will bring is not just how I manage my energy but thinking about joining it across all different sorts of industries.”

Rob Salter-Church, Partner, Ofgem

“We think a competitive market is the best protection for consumers in making sure they’re not paying too much and they’re getting a good quality of service. Customers voting with their feet is competition in action.”

Simon Everidge, head of sector for utilities, Unipart Expert Practices

“We know that the greatest challenges pretty much boil down to two things: consistently delivering outstanding levels of service for ever-more demanding customers and doing this while continuing to drive world-class levels of efficiency.”

David Bird, director, Eon

“We have absolutely seen the difference that ending estimated billing can make. We are starting to see that with smart, we are laying the foundation stage for the technical revolution that is going to dramatically shake-up the energy market.”