It’s time for utilities to evolve for the new energy customer says AGL’s Jo Egan

Utilities are undergoing significant change and disruption as the energy transition changes the energy mix and turns the role of the customer on its head. This requires businesses to evolve to stay relevant, argues Jo Egan of AGL.

AGL, a vertically integrated energy provider and one of Australia’s largest companies, is one such company undergoing an evolution in terms of technology and business processes.

Speaking at Enlit Europe, Jo Egan, who is the Chief Customer Officer at AGL, highlighted the massive amounts of change they are having to embrace and how innovation, digitalisation and distributed energy resources are causing a powerful transformation within their company.

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A technology transition

Egan emphasised that while going through this change and simultaneously decarbonising, it’s critically important to keep customers at the centre of everything they do.

“We are focused on helping customers to decarbonise and electrify because we know that providing their energy as renewable is not enough if we don’t help customers transition away from gas and to e-mobility.

“With that comes challenges and opportunities…but I’m really excited about the journey we’re on.”

According to Egan, the role of the customer is changing significantly and constantly and this is facilitated largely by digitalisation.

“Digitisation has been a game changer in the way that customers interact with us”.

Digitalisation also helps keep costs down, explained Egan, which is an important consideration for customers globally.

“The level of expectation from consumers has increased dramatically…,” said Egan.

But it’s not only digitalisation disrupting the consumer space. Egan also emphasised the role that distributed energy resources are playing. “Now we are moving to a world where energy is going to be supplied from customers’ homes, from their solar and the batteries behind the metre, and from their electric vehicles.

“The way they participate in the energy market will change completely – it’s putting power in customers hands but is also changing the way we need to operate with our customers, which is where a lot of focus is.”

Egan explained that 30% of Australian households have rooftop solar, which presents an enormous opportunity if that flexible load can be managed.

To help manage this load, AGL is using an innovative platform called Electrify Now, a digital tool that provides customers with data and insights into how they can electrify, save money and reduce emissions.

“We have found that has been really powerful. Let’s face it, energy is complex. Most consumers don’t want to understand that complexity, they just want trusted advice.”

A business and people transition

AGL is not only experiencing a technological evolution but is also going through a business transition.

To this end, they recently partnered with automation specialists Kaluza to overhaul their legacy technology and enable them to better support customers in a future market.

However, Egan could not over-emphasise the importance of people as the centre of this change journey, including her own company’s teams.

“You don’t capture the hearts and minds of your people when you’re trying to change and disrupt your own business, you won’t be successful. We are investing a lot in change management and ensuring our people understand why… it’s important to evolve our entire business.”

Originally published on enlit.world