E.ON Next and Kraken launch flexible demand management system in UK
Image courtesy E.ON.
E.ON Next has announced a new partnership with Kraken in the UK to launch the ResidentialFlex platform, an advanced flexible demand management system, which they claim will help customers with smart meters and energy solutions reduce their energy bills.
According to E.ON Next, ResidentialFlex will unlock a new wave of smart energy products and tariffs, starting with EV charging solutions aimed at making energy cheaper for existing customers, with plans to roll out to new customers later this year.
The system will use AI to automatically shift energy consumption, such as EV chargers, heat pumps, solar panels, home batteries and other home heating solutions, to the most cost-effective times of day, whilst continuously monitoring the grid to shift demand.
The platform will serve more than 5 million existing E.ON Next customers with smart meters and should enable homes and vehicles to respond intelligently to real-time grid conditions and pricing.
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Chris Norbury, CEO of E.ON UK, commented in a release: “Clean energy isn’t a dream for the future; it’s something we can capture now through innovative solutions and technologies that give customers better control of their energy, make bills more affordable, and build a platform for growth.
“The introduction of the Residential Flex platform for E.ON Next customers shows that we are leading the way in delivering clean, low-cost energy solutions without compromise. By leveraging AI to optimise energy consumption, we are helping our customers save on their energy bills while driving the UK’s transition to a net-zero future.”
Kraken’s technology will be powering the ResidentialFlex platform, already used by over 200,000 EV drivers in the UK.
Kraken uses AI to optimise and automate the energy usage of low-carbon technologies – EVs, heat pumps, solar panels, home batteries and smart thermostats – while continuously monitoring the grid.
Amir Orad, CEO of Kraken, said: “E.ON Next is taking a key step, together with Kraken, and delivering the smart energy system the UK needs.
“The old ways just won’t cut it – sticking to the status quo won’t drive the energy transition, and the cost of simply throwing money at transmission infrastructure would be sky-high. It’s time for a rethink on how we consume energy – a smarter, more efficient grid will power a secure, abundant energy future.”
The new partnership follows E.ON Next’s successful migration onto Kraken’s CRM and billing platform in 2020; 7.9 million meter points were moved onto Kraken in just two years, replacing 17 legacy IT systems.
According to Kraken, since being deployed by E.ON, the energy company has improved its customer relations, reflected in a Trustpilot score of 4.5. In the year of migration, the company also moved from £200 million ($269.4 million) losses to £100 million ($134.7 million) operating profit.
E.ON Next and Kraken were recently two founding members of the Mercury Consortium. The public-private initiative was set up with the goal of establishing a ‘Bluetooth for energy’ – setting a common framework for the integration of low-carbon technology into the grid.
