Reuniting the energy and water sector
2021 event available to view on-demand
Future of Utilities Summit is THE reunion for the energy and water sectors.
Following major updates to policy and regulation and the rollout of ambitious sustainability goals, the industry is facing unprecedented challenges and now is the time to meet them head-on.
Catch up on-demand with the
Future of Utilities Summit Box Set
Future of Utilities Summit 2021 saw over 90 industry experts take to the stage to share their wisdom on all things Net Zero, customer, network digitalisation, operational strategy and EV strategies.
You can now access all these strategic insights on-demand via the Future of Utilities Box Set.
2021 Speakers
Adrian Letts
Chief Executive Officer, OVO Energy
Keith Anderson
Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Power
Peter Simpson
Chief Executive Officer, Anglian Water
Michael French
Chief Operating Officer, Residential & SME Energy Sales, E.ON UK
John Morea
Chief Executive Officer, SGN
Rachel McEwen
Chief Sustainability Officer, SSE
Kate Thornton
Chief Customer Officer, SES Water
Bill Bullen
Chief Executive Officer, Utilita Energy
2021 Hot Topics
Net Zero
From preparing the network for rising demand, developing new products and bringing the customer with you on the journey, hear how to level-up your roadmap to 2050.
Digitalisation
Hear how to embed smart innovation across the network to take a more predictive approach to asset maintenance and adapt operations to suit this hyper-digitalised future.
Engagement
Ensure customers are kept informed and onboard as new products and services come into play throughout the green transition.
Customer Journey
Whether it’s adding value at each customer touch point, serving the business market or meeting the needs of vulnerable customers, there’s something for any CX professional.
EVs
Develop your winning strategies for succeeding in the emerging EV ecosystem by hearing how to develop exciting new products and slick customer messaging.
Who Attends
We have some of the industries leaders attending this years event!
Get in touch to receive the full attendee list by clicking the button below
2021 Agenda
Day 1
Wednesday, 15 September 2021
15 Sep
Day 2
Thursday, 16 September 2021
16 Sep
Chat and connect in the studios
Studio 1: Mapping out the route from the pandemic to net zero
Welcome
Warm up with our host and meet your pundit for this session
Terry Saunders
Worldwide Utilities Industry Leader
IBM
Keynote
Assessing the role of the supplier in the evolving energy ecosystem
Rising to the challenges of net zero, disruption, evolving customer expectations and regulatory pressures will be a tough task for energy suppliers. To remain competitive, suppliers must rethink the role they play in the new ecosystem. Adrian will share how OVO has started to diversify products and services to meet the demands of the changing energy landscape.
Adrian Letts
Chief Executive Officer
OVO Energy
Keynote
Towards a green future for gas networks: adopting a 2050-ready mindset
With hydrogen trials ongoing, new solutions being explored for industrial clusters and mass digitalisation underway, gas networks are undergoing huge transformation to become carbon-free by 2050. The decarbonisation of transport and heat will also require huge collaboration between the gas networks and other players in energy and water. John will share how SGN are tackling these challenges, what the route forward looks like for the next decade and how the role of the gas networks might evolve as the industry adapts to a carbon-free future.
John Morea
Chief Executive Officer
SGN
Interview
Innovation: The key to success in a competitive energy future
- End-to-end digital excellence: what does this look like for utilities and how can it be leveraged to boost resilience?
- What changes will widespread tech transformation bring to operating models and business strategy?
Andrew Ralston
Chief Executive Officer
Pure Planet
Kiel Wright
IT Service & Commercial Director
E.ON
Gary Miles
Chief Executive Officer
Gentrack
Panel discussion
Rising to the challenge of tackling net zero and capitalising on industry growth
- From regulatory pressures to net zero: what factors are driving the industry to adapt?
- How could growth vary and how should organisations know what strategies to prioritise?
- Digging into transport and heat: assessing the opportunities that can drive the most ROI
- What other services hold potential and how could they become an added differentiator in the market?
- Assessing the challenges of bringing new revenue pools into the core parts of the business
- How can energy companies stay primed for the impact of new entrants coming into the market?
- Energy-as-a-service: how close is this future and what changes might it bring to the energy ecosystem?
Michael French
Chief Operating Officer, Residential & SME Energy Sales
E.ON UK
Bill Bullen
Chief Executive Officer
Utilita Energy
Christianna Logan
Director of Customers & Stakeholders
SSE
Ian Funnell
Chief Executive Officer
Hitachi ABB Power Grids
Studio 2: Delivering fast-paced change across the water sector
Keynote
Striving towards a more dynamic innovation culture throughout the organisation
From ambitious green targets and the effects of climate change to aging infrastructure, the water industry is faced with challenges on all fronts. Peter will share how Anglian Water is tackling these challenges head on by championing a culture of innovation throughout the business that encourages the flow of new ideas and takes an agile approach to change.
Peter Simpson
Chief Executive Officer
Anglian Water
Interview
Crafting the regulatory conditions needed to boost innovation: assessing the steps to success
• Reflecting on recent approaches to innovation: what’s worked well so far and what needs to change?
• Identifying opportunities in technology and innovation: how can water suppliers make the most of these?
• How could the regulatory approach be adapted to boost further innovation across the sector?
Sam Williams
Director
Economic Insight
Keynote
A year in the life of a water company newcomer (and what a year…)
With previous experience in the highly commercial worlds of aviation and health insurance, Kate joined the water industry in October last year as the country was heading into a second national lockdown. Despite the difficulties of the pandemic, it provided the immediate chance for her to see how companies rose to the challenge of keeping taps running and toilets flushing. But more than that, it has shown how vital water companies are to the customers and communities they serve and the unique role they can play in the ‘build back better’ agenda. Kate shares her key observations and what we can all learn from her year like no other.
Kate Thornton
Chief Customer Officer
SES Water
Panel discussion
Customer, community, collaboration: post-pandemic strategies to build back better
- What does it mean to be a customer-centric supplier in 2021?
- How are customer expectations and behaviours continuing to evolve after the pandemic?
- What new challenges may arise as the number of vulnerable customers increases and debt levels rise?
- Have relationships with community groups evolved recently and what advantages can this bring to both parties?
- Post-pandemic working practises: assessing long-term changes and the impact on the customer
- What different paths can suppliers take to become a more socially and environmentally responsible business?
- Coping with the effects of climate change and the road to carbon neutrality: why is collaboration so important?
- The road from PR19 to PR24: what’s next for the sector?
Peter Simpson
Chief Executive Officer
Anglian Water
Kate Thornton
Chief Customer Officer
SES Water
Mike Lewis
Customer Transformation Senior Director
Salesforce
Lunch
Studio 1: Nurturing a more engaged customer
Welcome
Warm up with our host and meet your pundit for this session
Hayley Monks
Managing Director
Think Inspire & Create
Fireside chat
Getting the data right: towards more informed customer experience strategies
- Maximising the value of each customer touchpoint: gathering data for higher quality insights
- How close are utilities to developing a 360-degree customer view and how will this improve segmentation?
- Better serving and advising customers: what more can utilities do with better data capabilities?
Claire Yeates
Director
Waterscan
Fireside Chat
The customer engagement journey of Northern Powergrid: adopting a customer mindset to thrive and not survive
- Redefining CX strategies and nurturing engaged customers: where do the key challenges and opportunities lie?
- Assessing the importance of technology as an enabler to drive customer experience
- From the post-pandemic digitalisation to Net Zero and beyond: finding a route forwards
Paul Fitton
Head of Information Systems
Northern Powergrid
Kripa Subramanian
Global Lead Customer Experience
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
Case study with live Q&A
Small changes for big gains: an insight into the ‘Keep it clear’ campaign
As part of its ‘Keep it clear’ campaign, Southern Water are deploying a diverse range of tactics to improve the impact of unflushables on the pipes.
Elvira will give an insight into the campaign structure and key messaging strategy and share plans for the next steps of this important campaign.
Elvira Gabos
FOG & Unflushables Manager
Southern Water
Panel discussion
Keeping customers engaged, educated and onboard: finetuning digital strategies
- Becoming a credible brand to the consumer: what strengths do utilities have and what can be improved?
- What makes a successful engagement strategy and why is it critical to open up a two-way dialogue with the customer?
- Post-pandemic success: how can utilities ensure engagement remains a priority despite other business pressures?
- From schoolchildren to local regions: how can utilities reach specific customer groups and deliver targeted messaging for maximum impact?
- What special strategies may be needed to reach vulnerable or hard-to-reach customers?
- How can behavioural insights bring new potential to customer engagement and education?
- Tapping into insight from across the business: tactics for breaking down internal silos
Adriana Laguna
Head of Stakeholder Engagement & Strategy
UK Power Networks
Alun Shurmer
Director of Customer Strategy and Engagement
Dwr Cymru Welsh Water
Steve Grover
Senior Director- Product management
Oracle
Emma Lampert
Head of Customer Success
Localz
Studio 2: Smart thinking for asset maintenance
Welcome
Warm up with our host and meet your pundit for this session
Shelley Copsey
Chief Executive Officer
FYLD
Case study with live Q&A
Rethinking analytics: gaining stakeholder buy- in
In 2019, as part of their digitalisation strategy, UK Power Networks embedded a small team of analytics specialists. To date they have proven a business ROI of 34:1 per annum. Alex will share how his team bought the right stakeholders on the journey with them, built a framework to deliver maximum value and achieved the right level of stakeholder buy-in from across the organisation.
Alex Mahon
Head of Analytics
UK Power Networks
Fireside chat
Enhancing workforce capabilities alongside digitalisation of asset management
- Building an asset care approach across the whole organisation: what needs to change?
- Inside the network hub: improving the experience of the end user by providing them with the right kind of information
- Empowering staff and sharing information across the business: what advantages can this bring?
Eliane Algaard
Operations Director - Distribution South
SSE
Olga Romańska
FSM Business Consulting
Comarch
Panel discussion
Winning strategies for digital twins: a network-wide approach for a network-wide view
- Where has most innovation been focused so far and how impactful has this been?
- How can utilities better utilise technology to boost efficiency and deliver more for less?
- From identifying the right datasets or coping with greater volumes of new data: where do the biggest challenges lie?
- From reactive and proactive to predictive: what more can be achieved with the right analytic capabilities in place?
- How will greater rollout of IoT and 5G bring about new changes?
- Assessing individual business cases and building them into a network-wide approach: the key to strategic investment going forwards?
- How can organisations get more out of trials and pilots to inform future investments?
Alex Mahon
Head of Analytics
UK Power Networks
Jonathan Berry
DSO Digitalisation and Data Manager
Western Power Distribution
Stewart Reid
Head of Future Networks
SSEN
Gaurav Chadha
Head of Water Utilities Portfolio, UK&I
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
Studio 3: A just and green transition
Keynote
Protecting workers and communities on the road to net zero
SSE has broken new ground to be the first company to publish a ‘Just Transition’ strategy to encourage a fair route to net zero and properly consider the social implications of the transition. Rachel will share the key takeaways from the strategy and how it is shaping development across the business.
Rachel McEwen
Chief Sustainability Officer
SSE
Keynote
Capitalising on the promises, commitments and commercial opportunities of COP26
As an official partner of COP26, Scottish Power have made strategic commitments and ambitious targets to do their part in tackling climate change. Keith will share how the opportunities of COP26 are being felt throughout the business and how they plan to make the most of the outcomes of the event.
Keith Anderson
Chief Executive Officer
Scottish Power
Fireside chat
Supporting community energy projects: engaging stakeholders and increasing opportunities
- Reflecting on ongoing projects: what have they taught us about the kind of support the DNOs can and should give?
- How can community projects benefit the energy transition and improve the customer experience?
- How does a community model impact the finance ability of the energy system?
Anda Baumerte
Sustainability Manager
Northern Powergrid
Panel discussion
Becoming a more socially responsible business: leaving no customer behind on the transition
- Keeping up with customers, government and the regulator: meeting current expectations and anticipating future change
- How can utility suppliers ensure they champion fairness and affordability at every turn?
- What challenges do utilities face when striving for a fair distribution of impact across their customer base?
- Boosting good, green jobs: where should utilities be focusing their attention?
- How can the industry better self-regulate and utilise industry codes to support a fairer transition?
- Are there challenges in aligning social consciousness with commercial interest and how can they be overcome?
Rachel McEwen
Chief Sustainability Officer
SSE
Ruth Brougham
CX, Sales & Marketing Director
New Energy Platform Centrica
Seb Fox
Head of Commercial Projects
Rebel Energy UK
Rebecca Beresford
Head of Customers Policy and Regulation
EDF
Refreshment break
Studio 1: Crafting customer-centric journeys for all
Panel discussion
Perfecting the ‘channel of choice’ service model
- Understanding channel behaviours: what do customers want and how can utilities be best placed to meet those needs?
- Sharing information across channels: how can utilities foster more seamless experiences?
- Striving towards a ‘single customer view’: understanding the benefits for the workforce and how this translates to the customer
- How can team structures and operations be adapted to unlock the maximum benefit of this transformation?
- Human agents: how is technology reshaping their role and how can this be leveraged to enhance customer experience?
- The journey to omnichannel: do utilities face challenges in ensuring the pace of change aligns with evolving customer expectations?
- Preparing to serve the customer of 2030: what can utilities learn from other sectors?
Joe Brownless
Director of Customer Operations
Affinity Water
Jo Mayes
Director of Customer Services
Business Stream
Mike Ballard
VP Industray Strategy
Oracle
Interview
Scaling up for success: deploying automation for uncapped resilience
- Lessons learned from the pandemic: what makes a resilient CX strategy?
- Scaling up in times of high pressure: capitalising on the potential of automation
- Advantages of an empowered human agent: how can utilities enable more informed decision making?
Tony McCandless
Chief Technology Officer, EMEA
Blue Prism
Ketan Kothari
Director – Natural Resources Verticals, EMEA
Blue Prism
Fireside chat
Designing the ultimate self-service experience
- How can utilities drive self-service adoption rates?
- Eliminating frustration and reducing drop-off rates: where do the greatest pain points lie?
- How can companies ensure a smooth transition between self-service channels?
Jessica Collinge
Head of CX Strategy
Yorkshire Water
Emma Lampert
Head of Customer Success
Localz
Interview
AX + BX + CX = total digital excellence
- Defining pillars of digital excellence: where should utilities be focusing their attention?
- Reducing friction on the customer journey by boosting knowledge: where, why, how?
- Supercharging the agent experience: how to get the right information to the right people
Kevin Hendy
Overlay Sales Lead
Maintel
Studio 2: Data-driven visibility for water networks
Panel discussion
Tackling aging infrastructure with a more informed understanding of asset health
- From PR19 to net zero: exploring the need for a better picture of asset health
- How should utilities be measuring health across a diverse range of assets?
- What data sets are most important in developing this knowledge and how can this data be used more intelligently?
- Uniting insights from asset condition, asset health and system resilience: what benefits will be felt across the business?
- A holistic approach to data: how can insights be integrated into a more informed network-wide picture of asset health?
- Leveraging asset health to inform future resilience and decision-making: challenges and opportunities
- What’s holding the industry back from further innovation and what are the solutions here?
Christopher Reay
Transformation Programme Manager
Severn Trent Water
Ed Dalton
Risk and Asset Health Manager
United Utilities
Tamsin Lishman
Asset Management Director
Northumbrian Water
Per Edoff
Head of Global Energy & Utilities Presales for Data/Analytics, Asset Management and Value Based Maintenance
Atos
Fireside chat
Transforming leakage reduction: what can be achieved with AI and NB IoT?
- Exploring the transformative potential of digital water meters: what, why and how?
- Towards a more integrated and real-time view: how can these technologies revolutionise levels of knowledge and ability to react at speed?
- How can these insights be used to boost efficiency and lead to a more predictive approach to leakage prevention?
Oli Shelley
Head of Operations
Wave Utilities
Studio 3: A collaborative future for heat
Panel discussion
Utilising the potential of hydrogen and heat pumps in a net zero world
- Making the most of the testing period: what trials are in place and what results are they showing?
- What new technologies may be needed before the transition can move forwards?
- Taking the hybrid approach to domestic heat: what would this look like?
- What different strategies are needed to reach different kinds of home?
- How important will cross-industry collaboration be to ensure that each customer has the right solution for them?
- To what extent are industry frameworks and government policy fit-for-purpose?
Charles Wood
Deputy Director, Policy
Energy UK
James Harrison
Director of London Network
Cadent Gas
Amy Ritchie
Policy Officer - Heat Networks and Heat Decarbonisation
The Association for Decentralised Energy
Interview
Anticipating the heat pump rollout: navigating the key challenges
- How will government policy shape the heat transition and what impact will this have on the industry?
- Minimising impact on the customer: how can costs be managed and customers supported throughout the country?
- How can the supply chain get to the position where it can scale up fast and meet future demand?
Tara Deshpande
Clean Heat Directorate
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
Fireside chat
Solving the puzzle of clean hydrogen
- Green generation: assessing the current feasibility and where further innovation might be needed?
- What challenges are faced in order to ensure a reliable supply?
- What developments will be needed for existing networks as hydrogen becomes more widespread?
- The road to net zero: how instrumental could hydrogen be in different parts of society and industry?
Barry Carruthers
Hydrogen Director
Scottish Power
Panel discussion
The roadmap to a hydrogen-ready network
- What policy decisions are required for the gas networks to prepare for the transition?
- What work can gas networks currently do to prepare for the transition?
- What more needs to be done to ensure safe network and a secure supply?
- Do suppliers face challenges in ensuring a reliable supply of methane as part of the transition?
- Managing the transition with the customer: what will this look like and how can suppliers ensure minimal disruption?
- Is the regulatory framework currently up to speed and how might it need to evolve?
- From low blend trials to 100% hydrogen clusters: what should the roadmap look like?
Tim Harwood
H21 Programme Director and Head of Hydrogen Technologies
Northern Gas Networks
Dr Jamie Speirs
Sustainable Gas Institute Fellow in Energy Analysis and Policy
Imperial College London
Antony Green
Hydrogen Director
National Grid
Dr. Angela Needle
Director of Strategy
Cadent Gas
End of day
Chat and connect in the studios
Studio 1: Supercharging approaches to sustainability for the water sector
Keynote
Assessing strategic priorities across the sector: next steps for meeting ambitious sustainability goals
Water companies are unique regional institutions sitting between the public and private sectors and are well placed to use that position to help deliver climate resilience and green recovery investment often in partnership with local authorities and other public bodies. Suppliers all have ambitious plans to do this but need the right regulatory framework to do so. In this critical year for PR24, Yorkshire Water corporate affairs director Richard Emmott sets out what changes we need to see for the sector to deliver and assesses whether the level of ambition from government and regulator matches that of the sector.
Richard Emmott
Director of Communications
Yorkshire Water
Keynote
Catchment regulation and nature based solutions: assessing the challenges and opportunities
Investing in nature based solutions is increasingly seen as an important way to address water challenges such as floods, water shortages and problems with water quality. John will share how Wessex Water is exploring these new opportunities, the challenges they bring and the important regulatory considerations that will affect future change.
John Thompson
Executive Director of Engineering & Sustainable Delivery
Wessex Water
Interview
The future of smart water management: digging into the potential of AI
- What investments have been most transformative so far and what are the logical next steps?
- Assessing the potential of smart networks to ensure resilience in the face of climate change
- Building a scalable smart network: anticipating future change and evolving customer needs
Neil Walker
Technical Director
Atkins
Panel discussion
Nature-based, holistic and socially responsible approaches to the future: a shift in mindset for the sector
- Expectations of the regulator and the public: examining recent changes and impact on the water sector
- Coping with the effects of climate change and delivering carbon neutrality: are current land management strategies enough?
- Exploring nature-based and holistic catchment solutions: what factors need to be considered before further investment?
- How can water companies unlock greater value from waste products as part of this change?
- Overcoming water scarcity: how can the industry be more collaborative to forge innovative distribution strategies?
- Becoming a more socially-responsible business: what is being done well and what could be improved?
- Keeping investment emissions on the radar: ensuring progress with greater collaboration across the supply chain
Bob Taylor
Chief Executive Officer
Portsmouth Water
Nicci Russell
Managing Director
Waterwise
Monika Szczyrba
Senior Technical Advisor - Water, Wastewater and Floods
National Infrastructure Commission
Studio 2: EVs: a new power play for utilities
Keynote
Tackling the EV ecosystem: winning strategies for energy suppliers
With new players entering the market and rapidly shifting customer behaviours, the mass adoption of EVs is set to disrupt the traditional role of the supplier and bring new challenges and opportunities to the energy ecosystem. Philippe will share how energy suppliers can prepare for the coming change and ensure a profitable role in this new energy future.
Philippe Commaret
Managing Director, Customers
EDF
Keynote
Reinforcing the network to ensure true reliability: strategies for proactive transformation across systems
The boom in electric vehicle use will put never before seen pressures on energy networks, who are already grappling with the important challenge of net zero. Russell will share how National Grid is building a more flexible grid to ensure they are better able to cope with this green, electric-first future.
Dr Russell Fowler
Senior Project Manager, Decarbonisation of Transport
National Grid
Panel discussion
Making an EV-first future a reality: ensuring accountability and encouraging collaboration
- Assessing the pace of change and the factors that could accelerate progress
- What new players could enter the ecosystem and how might the role of energy companies evolve?
- From local government to retailers: how could energy companies work with third parties more effectively?
- How can collaboration be improved with industry and non-industry players to ensure a thorough transition across the country?
- Ensuring accountability and communication: what could be improved and how might this be done?
- Regulation and policy: are they fit for purpose and where might further support be needed?
Dr Russell Fowler
Senior Project Manager, Decarbonisation of Transport
National Grid
Philippe Commaret
Managing Director, Customers
EDF
Natalia Peralta Silverstone
Head of Propositions
Octopus Electric Vehicles
Refreshment break
Studio 1: Collaborative approaches for serving the business market
Interview
Simplifying processes and smoothing out communications: an insight into the Bilateral Transactions Programme
• Identifying the frictions in market operations: what change is needed and how can this be achieved?
• Assessing the importance of standardisation and centralisation: what role can the Bilateral Transaction Programme play?
• Delivering on change: what progress has been made so far and what are the next steps?
John Gilbert
Head of Planning and Programme Director for the Bilateral Transactions Programme
MOSL
Case study with live Q&A
Innovating for the non-household water market
The competitive non-household water market opened for business in 2017. How has the market developed in these first few years and what have suppliers learned about the needs and expectations of business customers? Our speaker will give their thoughts on these big questions and share how transformation in technology is simplifying transactions and creating new opportunities for suppliers.
Josh Gill
Chief Executive Officer
Everflow Water
Panel discussion
From supplier-customer relationship to collaborative partnership: encouraging engagement from commercial customers
- Gaining a deeper understanding of the customer base: what more can be done?
- Creating a cutting-edge proposition: strategies for boosting customer engagement
- Fostering collaborative partnerships: how can the supplier and customer do more together on the road to net zero?
- Enabling non-household customers to become more efficient: where is most support needed?
- Multi-site customers: how could services be improved and what impact might this have on customer engagement
- What more can suppliers do to support customers through difficult times?
- What can business suppliers learn from innovation in other sectors reaching business customers such as banking and insurance?
Nick Proctor
Chief Executive Officer
amber energy
Steve Pick
Energy Management Lead - SMEs, New Build Developments, Social Housing
Centrica
John Gilbert
Head of Planning and Programme Director for the Bilateral Transactions Programme
MOSL
Studio 2: The race to 2030 for EV charging
Case study with live Q&A
A new era for at-home EV charging
With the pioneering Drive Anytime energy plan, OVO’s ‘type of use tariff’ separates the cost of charging an EV from the household electricity bill. This innovative product allows members to make significant saving on EV charging while offering protection from price spikes. Chris will give an insight into OVO’s development and launch of this exciting product and OVO is helping it’s members go one step further towards a zero carbon future.
Chris Russell
Managing Director
OVO Drive
Case study and live Q&A
Crafting a smooth installation journey for EV chargers
Whether it’s at home, on-street or for fleets, UK Power Networks are supporting the charging rollout via transparent information on capacity, supporting cases where capacity is low and collaborative work with local authorities. Our speaker will share how UK Power Networks is working towards providing seamless support for the EV charging rollout.
Ian Cameron
Head of Customer Service and Innovation
UK Power Networks
Panel discussion
Shaping strategies around customer needs: achieving robust coverage for charging infrastructure
- How can customer needs be better understood and factored into further development?
- From local councils to charge point manufacturers: how can greater collaboration encourage faster change?
- Coping with the expansion of home chargers and commercial charging infrastructure: what changes to the system may be needed?
- Current charging technologies: how far is this affecting development and where is innovation most needed?
- Aligning new services with established parts of the energy business: ensuring a smooth journey for the customer
- What tariff innovation may be needed as technology advances and demand increases?
- What role should the energy sector play in boosting customer confidence around battery capacity and performance?
Matt Allen
Chief Executive Officer
Pivot Power
Adam Hall
Director of Energy Services
Drax Group
Chris Russell
Managing Director
OVO Drive
Studio 3: Future ways of working
Interview
Diversifying into a greener business
- What makes a truly green business and where should priorities lie?
- How can organisations become more efficient in their energy consumption and operations?
- Becoming more operationally agile: how critical will this be in preparing for future industry change?
- Is the regulator doing enough to support utility organisations on this journey?
Dr Iris Soler
Head of Environmental Quality and Compliance
Southern Water
Fireside chat
Reaching new heights with workforce optimisation and a digitalised field force
- From video calls to automated status reporting: how are new technologies unlocking new capabilities for the workforce?
- Leveraging these advances for greater efficiencies across the business
- Empowering front-line workers to make data-driven decisions: getting the right information to the right people
David Cank
Head of Customer Hub
Bristol Water
Mark Brewer
Vice President, Service Industries
IFS
Panel discussion
Building back better: perfecting the post-Covid people and property strategy
- Where did the pandemic accelerate change and how are these changes being embedded in long-term strategy?
- From the office to the field force: how can organisations make better use of property to improve efficiency and employee experience?
- How can organisations build upon upskilling and repurposing of talent to make the most of advances in technology?
- Recruiting or repurposing talent: how has remote working unlocked new opportunities?
- Aligning this change with industry growth and organisational restructuring: ensuring operational agility
- How can organisations maximise the potential of these changes for long-term cost saving?
Dr Angela MacOscar
Head of Innovation
Northumbrian Water
James Doyle
Head of Talent, Culture and Space
Octopus Energy
Lunch
Studio 1: The evolution of customer vulnerability
Case study with live Q&A
Tapping into collaborative partnerships: towards more efficient services for suppliers and customers
To make life easier for their customers in most need of support, Thames Water is boosting collaboration with partner organisations. Peter will share how Thames Water is using these relationships to put new agreements in place to allow customers in vulnerable circumstances to proactively benefit from utility support schemes
Peter Cotton
Head of Customer Propositions
Thames Water
Case study with live Q&A
Reaching vulnerable customers and engaging them in the Net Zero
Stew Horne
Head of Policy
Energy Saving Trust
Panel discussion
Robust and empathetic strategies for debt management: coping with pressures from the pandemic
- What changes has the industry seen in the last 18 months and how could these trends evolve?
- From regulatory pressures to public perceptions: what other challenges are affecting service in this area?
- A smarter approach to assistance programmes: how to ensure the right kind of support for the right kind of customer
- Diversifying repayment strategies: what innovations could be most transformative?
- An efficient and empathetic approach to collections processes: how can data-driven decisions help?
- Can the industry work more collaboratively to improve engagement with and care of vulnerable customers?
- When you’ve done everything you can as a utility provider, what then?
Alex Belsham-Harris
Principal Policy Manager, Energy Retail Markets Policy
Citizens Advice
Jane Crisp
Vulnerability Strategy Manager
South East Water
Studio 2: The next phase of home energy management
Interview
From smart meters to smart homes: perfecting the final stage of the roll out
- What impact did the pandemic have and what learnings from this period can be applied to the remainder of the roll out?
- Reaching the ‘hard to reach’ and coping with difficult properties: what does the last phase of the journey look like?
- How will the smart enabled ecosystem fit together and what role will smart meters play?
Simon Finnegan
Head of Energy Programmes
Utility Warehouse
Interview
Unlocking the true value of smart meter data
- How can data be used to improve the accuracy and efficiency of existing services?
- What new products and services can be opened up with better access to data and how can this transform home energy management?
- What advances in technology are needed to support further innovation with smart meter data?
Jessica Venning-Bryan
Chief Customer Officer
Flux Federation
Fireside Chat
Smart meters, tariff innovation, industry frameworks: paving the way for decentralisation
- What trials are currently in place and how are the results informing future innovation?
- How can engagement be boosted in customers and communities and who should be leading the way?
- Coping with uptake in distributed energy resources: what challenges might this present to the grid?
- How can customers and energy companies make better use of smart meter data and what technological innovation might be needed to support this?
- Opportunities in tariff innovation: what new choices could suppliers offer and what benefits could this bring to customers?
- How far do industry frameworks need to be adapted to support further change?
- How can the industry ensure vulnerable customers aren’t left behind or negatively affected by the transition?
Dr Maria Brucoli
Manager – Smart Energy Systems, R&D Centre
EDF Energy
Dr Avi Aithal
Technical Lead for the Open Networks Project
Energy Networks Association
Keynote
Energy House 2.0: researching the smart home of the future
University of Salford’s major new research project, Energy House 2.0, is revolutionising understanding of the home of the future. Featuring houses fitted with smart energy tech, including smart meters and V2G solutions, powered by 100% renewable energy on Octopus Energy’s time-of-use-tariff, homes can be tested in temperatures from -20 to +40 degrees Celsius. Hear about the next steps for the project and how insights will shape how the UK reaches Net Zero and alleviates fuel poverty in the coming decades.
Dr Richard Fitton
Research Lead, Energy House Laboratories
University of Salford
Studio 3: Assessing the framework for regulation and policy
Fireside chat
A regulatory environment to support the next phase of industry change
- Recent regulatory settlements: what does this show about the current state of the market and the regulatory system?
- Key learnings from these settlements: how will they inform the next review?
- Support through the pandemic: how have working methods changed?
- Looking towards major industry growth: assessing the challenges of finding the right level of support
- How can regulators create a framework that better encourages and accelerates innovation?
- How will the net zero commitment change the future path of regulation?
William Godfrey
Director, Price Review, PR24 and beyond
Ofwat
Akshay Kaul
Director, Networks
Ofgem
Interview
The industry view on achieving Net Zero
Sam Peacock
Director of Corporate Affairs and Strategy
SSE
Keynote
Collaboration, innovation, adaption: Defra’s priorities for the water industry
Coping with the effects of climate change and meeting ambitious net zero goals by 2030 are putting big pressures on water supply. Collaborative working between water suppliers, local authorities, consumers and the regulator will be essential to ensuring a sustainable water supply for the future. Davide will share how DEFRA are working towards these goals by fostering collaboration at a national and regional level and using new engagement strategies to reduce water demand.
David Minotti
Deputy Director of Water Services
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Keynote
Building on the momentum of the Energy White Paper: short term steps to meet long term goals
In December, BEIS set out how the UK will reach net zero emissions by 2050 in an ambitious document full of long-term goals. Matthew will share how this translates into short-term steps, in particular through the £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio and how BEIS will be supporting change in the lead up to the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.
Matthew Billson
Head of Strategy, Energy Innovation & Climate Science
BEIS
End of conference
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