Green Tech South-West showcased some of the region’s most exciting Green Tech organisations as part of Bristol Technology Festival.
We caught up with Katie Davies, Regulatory Lead at Pure Planet ahead of the session. Introducing Pure Planet, their story and the technology that makes it all happen.
Can you tell us more about Pure Planet and what they do?
Katie Davies: Pure Planet is the UK’s only digital-first green energy supplier providing households with 100% renewable electricity and 100% carbon offset gas. We’re passionate about making green energy affordable and engaging through our award-winning app and WattBot, our 24/7 digital assistant.
What do you do at Pure Planet?
Katie: As a Regulatory Lead at Pure Planet it’s my job to ensure the business is compliant with the rules set by our regulator, Ofgem. I’m also responsible for helping the business prepare for the wealth of new policies and regulations that are coming up.
Now it’s a really exciting industry as we’re facing up to the climate challenge by building a greener, smarter and more decentralised system. From Pure Planet’s perspective, that means rolling out Smart meters, supporting the industry to transition to faster, more reliable switching, and making products like ‘time of use’ tariffs viable. This will not only allow for a greater proportion of renewable energy in the system but will also bring a host of new products to market, enabling customers to be more energy-efficient, to transition to EVs and to decarbonise heat.
I’m really interested in how we can balance regulation, guaranteeing that the green transition works for everyone, with a policy landscape that encourages innovation.
In what ways are you using digital technology to achieve your goals?
Katie: At Pure Planet, maximising technology is at the heart of what we do. Our digital-first model means our Members can have full control of their energy consumption and costs online and via our award-winning App. We’ve also developed Wattbot, our 24/7 digital assistant, as the first port of call for Member’s questions. This means, Members no longer need to spend hours waiting on the phone, being passed around different teams to get their issue resolved, and can manage their energy when it’s convenient to them, not just when a call centre is open.
Can Net Zero be achieved and what will it take to ensure that happens?
Katie: Yes, but we need to act now and be prepared to make some big, brave decisions. One of the reasons I’m passionate about energy is that there’s a direct link between an individual’s behaviour – how, when, why and what they use their energy for – and their impact on the environment. At Pure Planet we believe that people have the power, and want to make moving to green energy as simple and engaging as possible. I think technology and innovation that puts people at the centre of things will supercharge our achievement of Net Zero.
We also need to look at the whole system, that’s for too long been underinvested in and dominated by incumbents. Higher up the supply chain, industry and policymakers alike need to do more to promote GB renewable energy generation and accelerate the introduction of energy storage into the grid. I’m excited about the growth of data from Smart meters to empower consumers to manage their usage and costs and be encouraged to transition to low carbon tech like EVs, smart appliances and low carbon heating systems.
What’s next for Pure Planet and are there other initiatives in the pipeline?
Katie: Looking ahead to 2021, we’re excited about introducing Pure Planet to more Members and continuing to grow. Every new Member joining us provides a stronger signal to the industry that renewables are affordable and here to stay.
Next year we’ll be continuing our work to use technology to make green energy and sustainable lifestyle choices a reality for our Members. We’ll be scaling up our EV proposition, installing thousands more Smart meters and looking at ways to improve our app for the benefit of all our Members.
Thank you Katie for the chat.