Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | AUGUST 2021 | 33 Customers "So there are a couple of very interesting niches there which Good Energy has historically played quite well in and we can continue to build our services for. It's too early to say whether that means it's more of a B2B focus still, but I think the vision is enabling homes and busi- ness to be carbon neutral and we will play where we can best a• ect that vision." Pocklington joins the sector as discussions turn to what the forthcoming retail strategy, which follows on from the government's Energy White Paper, will entail. A key area listed in the white paper was the prospect of opt-in/opt-out switching as a way of tackling the loyalty penalty. Like many of his colleagues in the sector, Pock- lington is not an advocate of automatically switching customers over to di• erent tari• s or even suppliers. "Automatic switching is a barrier to investment and it is also administratively a far bigger task than anyone gives credit to," he says. Pocklington believes there is a real risk from the autoswitching proposition that problems will arise such as customers being unclear who their supplier is. For him, it's an intervention too far. "The better solution is to encourage a vibrant market for customer acquisition and then encourage companies to develop products and services that justify the prices they charge. There is less of a loyalty penalty now, a‡ er the SVT cap, than there was before," he says. Continuing the crusade against greenwashing His predecessor has a reputation for being a vocal critic of what she perceives as bad practices in the sector such as greenwashing and suppliers providing unsustainably cheap tari• s. Pocklington is already proving himself in the Good Energy mould. He recently penned a blog heavily criticising rival Bulb's green energy credentials, claiming 96 per cent of the company's fuel mix was greenwashed. Says Pocklington: "I think that while the reason we have got here is rooted in good intentions, greenwash- ing is a considerable consumer protection scandal. You have got to a place where the majority of tari• s being o• ered to UK domestic consumers claim to be green, yet we know that only roughly 40 per cent of our National Grid's generation is from renewables. "So there's something missing there, yet I suspect consumer awareness is very low." Responding to the Good Energy chief 's claims, a Bulb spokesperson said: "We think it's important people know where their energy comes from and we've always been transparent about our fuel mix, which is 100 per cent renewable. Getting to net zero is a huge global e• ort and we don't think it's as simple as debating PPAs (power purchase agreements) and REGOs (renewable energy guarantees of origin certiž cates). "Taking energy-eŸ cient products mainstream will be essential to help reach net zero. As well as providing a• ordable, renewable energy to our customers, we're building technology that will transform how we use energy. And we're a B Corp, which means we meet rigor- ous standards of social and environmental impact." Adam John, senior reporter I n last month's column we heard about the power of 21st-century mobilisation, but what are the practical steps to put it into e• ect? 1 Set a big, glamorous goal. Simple examples would be going from two completed jobs per week to three. Sharpen up planning and preparation, make sure that all the required equipment is ready, and then make a fast change if something goes wrong. 2. Work backwards from the end-customer's interest. If the customer wants a certain project completed within a year, then start with that timeline and work backwards with a co-located, cross- functional team to ž nd a way to make it happen that does not put the customer at risk. 3. Reduce work with bureaucratic stakeholders. 4. Build enough trust to begin work before contracts are • nalised. Generally, the outside party has to see that the sponsor's manager is absolutely committed to the success of the project and open to hearing and adjusting on the basis of the criticism of the potential supplier. 5. Change sequential work to parallel work. There is signiž cant operational and ž nancial risk in starting one phase if an organisation cannot be sure that the previous phase will succeed. However, parallel work need not always be risky. Sometimes a site surveyor can do other work that would normally come later and do so with high conž dence that the site will be good to go. Frequently, the earlier planning work with co-located, multi-disciplinary teams reveals numerous opportunities for low-risk parallel work. 6. Hold hyper-frequent operational meetings. Mobilisation requires a fast rhythm where, crucially, no-one can fall into old disciplinary practices of doing engineering or marketing work without the big goal in sight. 7. Insist on regular innovation from cross- disciplinary teams. Teams do better when they face a regular expectation for innovation. 8. Establish a can-do, mission-driven culture. The most important practices for maintaining zeal are regular, almost constant reporting of where teams and the overall organisation are in fulž lling their commitments. 9. Take wise • nancial risks to intensify commitment. 10. Treat people as noble missionaries. Mobilisers must see everyone they work with day in and day out with wonder. For an in-depth exploration of these facets of 21st-century mobilisation, download the full report, 21st-Century Mobilisation? at: https:// utilityweek.co.uk/are-you- ready-for-21st-century- business-mobilization VISION is an international consulting organisation that helps businesses transform their operational practices, leadership, and culture for the long term. Our thinking is deeply rooted in philosophy – timeless wisdom that helps our clients navigate complex challenges. For more, see: www.vision.com EXPERT VIEW VISION CONSULTING 10 steps to transform your business with extraordinary pace

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