Utility Week

P R E S E N T S 26 | 10TH - 16TH MAY 2019 | UTILITY WEEK renewable sources, including wind, solar and biomass. For every unit of electricity customers use, a unit of renewable electricity is put into the grid. Alongside Shell Energy's recent rebrand, it has also shi ed its customer proposi on and is in the process of defining what its customers want going forward. "We will be rolling out a range of smart home technology offers throughout the year, star ng with smart thermostats and home electric vehicle charging, all with the aim of offering greater convenience to householders and helping make homes more efficient," says Crooks. EVs According to the UWL survey, the average pping point for mass take-up of electric vehicles (EVs) is expected to be 2027. Ensuring the EV charging network has the capacity to cope with demand is becoming a significant priority for the energy sector. Shell Energy has joined forces with EV charging specialist New Mo on to offer customers EV home charging solu ons suitable for all electric cars, powered by renewable electricity with charging speeds of up to 7.4kW. As well as EV charging, Shell recently expanded its offering of smart energy storage and energy services with the acquisi on of Sonnen. The company's SonnenBa erie is a smart solar storage system that integrates with new and exis ng solar systems. The business is tapping into the an cipated adop on of residen al storage ba eries as consumers grasp the opportunity to both generate their own energy and poten ally sell it. Following the acquisi on announcement in February, Mark Gainsborough, execu ve vice president, new energies at Shell, said: "Full ownership of Sonnen will allow us to offer more choice to customers seeking reliable, affordable and cleaner energy. "Together, we can accelerate the building of A W O R D F R O M O U R P L A T I N U M S P O N S O R BETTER EXPERIENCES, FROM THE INSIDE OUT Changing to a new service model needs people. Engaged employees deliver a be er service to customers – and that of course generates real returns. But to do that they need to trust their technology and feel properly equipped to do their best work. Over the past few years Amazon has main-streamed the "I need it now" model of service, and the way consumers interact with suppliers is changing as a result. You can see how this is being reflected in u lity companies, who are shi ing from the old way of doing things to engage with their customers differently. The reasons are simple: reduce complaints, increase service levels and keep everyone happy (especially the regulator). And that shi isn't just process-led, it's a case of changing a tudes too. O en, that shi comes from the inside first. With leaders who show emo onal intelligence – and look to understand staff needs – being the ones who succeed. This extends all the way up to the chief informa on officer and is their founda on in providing the right technology and innova on. It's a fact that's reflected by research from Gartner, which reports that 90 per cent of a chief informa on officer's success in driving transi on depends on emo onal intelligence. Happy employees are more produc ve – another fact. It sounds obvious, but when employees are mo vated, their organisa on thrives; a fact not only found in a study by the University of Warwick but in the Harvard Business Review too. But this can be easier said than done. It starts with less saying, and more listening. Hearing the concerns of those who work with you, and those you work for. At a recent sprint event led by O2 Labs, Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) took this approach and explored how technology can enable "healthier, happier and safer employees". And based on staff feedback, NWG went on to develop a number of wellbeing apps to address their challenges. "When people have great experiences at work and are happy and healthy, they are able to provide unrivalled experiences to our customers," says NWG's head of people transforma on, Lynn Perry. "So the incen ve for businesses to really crack this issue is there, it′s just a case of us applying innova on to the problem and seeing what solu ons we can come up with." To transi on means to listen. We're here to listen to you. Talk to us at our Challenge Wall at U lity Week Live – we'll be at stand F56. Visit: www.u lityweeklive.co.uk/o2-challenge-wall

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