Innovation is not just tech, it’s about leaving no one behind

Innovation is often thought of as purely cutting-edge technologies or a view into a distant future, but sometimes the most important innovation is far simpler and often sitting right in front of us. That’s the view of E.ON Next COO Ramona Vlasiu on how partnerships, new ways of thinking, and of course new tech, can all work together in supporting people and in making sure energy can be as sustainable as it is affordable.

Ramona was speaking to Baringa business consultancy as part of its ‘Rise of the COO’ podcast and outlined her thoughts on a range of topics focused on helping customers to overcome the challenges and complexity of the energy market, but also getting the benefits out of it.

Ramona said: “From my perspective, the energy transition goes from being, at the moment, quite a one directional relationship between the energy supplier and the customer, to a much more complex, I call it bi-directional, relationship. . . to a decentralised system where a customer has in their home quite a lot of technology from smart meters to heat pumps, solar panels, batteries, even chargers.

“That system creates a huge amount of complexity for customers, so I think I see my role and the operation I'm running helping to support the customer getting through that complexity, but also getting the benefits out of it.

“I really feel quite a big responsibility in that.”

Innovation plays a leading role in her thinking, but often in areas less obvious than more typical assumptions around new technology developments or international co-operation.

“I've always said to my colleagues that when we think about innovation, we sometimes tend to think of cutting edge technologies and something future kind of what future brings. But sometimes innovation is simpler than that and it's actually sitting in front of us.”

Some examples of that forward thinking include partnerships, jobs and skills and also diversity: 

Addressing affordability and accessibility

E.ON Next is piloting a programme in Coventry focusing on providing support to customers living in poorly insulated homes and struggling with debt. Through government schemes and E.ON Next's own Energy Fund, customers are offered energy efficiency measures such as home insulation, heat pumps, solar panels, and batteries. This approach aims to make energy transition technologies accessible to a wider range of customers, including those who may not have been able to afford them otherwise.

Partnerships and innovations

“Every company has this limitation,” says Ramona, which is why partnerships play a key role in driving innovation. E.ON Next recently began working with Australian start-up Amber Electric to bring a game-changing software to the UK, empowering customers to manage their energy consumption, participate in the market, and even generate income.
Additionally, E.ON Next is investing in AI technologies to support their energy specialists and engineers in helping customers to navigate the complexities of the energy transition.

Skills and inclusion

Successfully reaching net zero demands new skills and capabilities in any workforce. E.ON’s Net Zero Training Academy equips engineers with the necessary ‘green collar’ skills in installing technologies like heat pumps, EV chargers, solar panels, and batteries.

Equally important is building an inclusive organisation that reflects the diversity of our customers and society as a whole.

Building an inclusive organisation is vital, says Ramona, and it is one of the things she is “really, really precious about”, because a diverse workforce is vital to developing propositions that are tailored to and consider people from all backgrounds.

“The reason why I say that, and I've seen it in our kind of dynamic when we develop propositions, the more diverse organisation you have that reflects the communities your customers are living, the higher the chances when you develop propositions they actually are tailored for their needs and use them. I've put in an incredible amount of investment in making sure that is happening in E.ON and for me that in itself is getting ready for the future.”

‘Leave no one behind’

They key to making new energy work, says Ramona is in “leaving no one behind” and making sure the shift from the old energy world succeeds in not only being greener, but more affordable. The responsibility is on energy suppliers to find the right offers for customers across every part of society, not just those who can afford the latest technologies.

She cites one opportunity being trialled as part of E.ON’s Strategic Energy Partnership with Coventry City Council, using the Warm Homes Discount as a way to finance lower energy bills for the long term, rather than a single payment “sticking plaster” every winter.

Ramona said: “The energy transition and affordability can't be viewed as two separate contradictory factors. They're highly interdependent. I can see the energy transition going to something where it's not just affordable for all, but actually it could be a lever to lift people out of poverty.”

:: Ramona Vlasiu was speaking to Baringa’s Rise of the COO podcast. You can listen in full here: https://www.baringa.com/en/impact/client-experience/coo-podcast/