SMS hosts Smart Energy Insights Day at Bolton Innovation Hub

SMS was delighted to recently host the annual Smart Energy Insights Day at our Innovation Hub and Training Academy in Bolton, Lancashire.

The event invited UK energy suppliers and other non-utility organisations – including Natwest, Rightmove, and Loop.homes – to discuss how the opportunities created by the smart meters (and the digital energy ecosystem) can be leveraged to better engage consumers, enable innovation, and drive decarbonisation.

Whilst the theme of day was centred around energy data as a driving force of the energy transition – including the role of key services such as Market-wide Half Hourly Settlement and Demand Flexibility – cross-sector collaboration was also a topic that ran throughout the various talks.

As well as presentations from SMS stakeholders, guest speakers of the event also included:

• Tracie Callaghan, Innovation Lead, Climate Data and Technology, Natwest
• Simon Dawson, Director of Data Services, Rightmove
• Steve Buckley, Head of Product and Data Science, Loop.homes

The event was attended by more than 70 people from across different industries operating within the digital energy ecosystem.

If you would like to attend next year’s Smart Energy Insights Day, please contact Tom Woolley (Smart Product & Strategy Director) or email: info@sms-plc.com

What attendees said about the event:

Tom Woolley, Director of Product & Strategy, SMS

“Today was all about talking to our customers within the energy industry, but also outside of the energy industry, to discuss how we can make sure we collaboratively  kickstart the energy transition, how we can use energy data to help consumers. Whether it’s an energy supplier, or consumer-facing brand’s from outside of traditional utilities, we’ve all a role to play in this journey. There is a massive opportunity at the moment as we’ve got the kind of explosion of open energy data because of the smart meter rollout. That’s creating real competition as to who wins the relationship with consumers.”

Simon Dawson, Director of Data Services from Rightmove

“I really enjoyed today. It’s given me a great insight into the smart meter market, how that fits in with energy market and where the direction of travel is going. And what’s been really interesting is seeing different organisations from different areas of the consumer engagement cycle and how they might fit in a well. Certainly, from my point of view, what is key is that data is king, because there is definitely an underlying theme across all of the chats and the conversation today, which is pretty much predicated on the need for education and the need for insight for consumers.

Steve Buckley, Head of Product and Data Science, Loop.homes

“It’s been really interesting seeing lots of different views from across the industry in different industries. I think what we what we learn is collaboration across different sectors is going to be really important to the challenges of getting to net zero, particularly in residential houses.”

Mark Hamilton, Managing Director of FlexiGrid

“I think events like this, it’s a much more kind of an intimate, cosy environment, I guess, to have the kind of really detailed conversations and discussions, I guess, that need to happen to solve the problems that we’re seeing in the energy industry and take advantage of the opportunities.”

Chris Mawer, Commercial Director, SMS

“Where the energy insights day was held today at our training academy in Bolton was so important. It’s a mock up street where we’ve got different properties, different types of properties from commercial, from domestic. And it starts to put a real perspective on who we’re delivering these services to ultimately.”