Energy Queensland completes Kraken migration ahead of schedule

• 1,000,000 Ergon Energy Retail customer accounts moved onto Kraken platform within ten months 
• The full ICT transformation was completed one month ahead of schedule and on budget
• Kraken platform now responsible for almost a third of Australian households’ retail energy experiences

London / Townsville, 22nd July 2024 – Energy Queensland Limited (EQL) has migrated one million customer accounts to the Kraken platform as part of its retailer transformation and commitment to excellence in customer service.

Australia’s largest wholly government-owned electricity company is the parent company of Ergon Energy Retail which took the bold step to move all of its retail customers onto Kraken — the world's fastest growing energy software and the technology behind Octopus Energy, the UK’s largest power supplier.

Ergon Energy Retail was the first government-owned utility to license Kraken, taking huge strides to improve customer experience and accelerate the green transition. 

Ergon Energy Retail’s partnership with Kraken has demonstrated that utility transformation is possible with a new operating model, complete re-platforming of ICT capability and the successful migration of more than one million customer accounts in 10 months and under budget.

Kraken’s pioneering operating model fosters people-centric and agile retail solutions, resulting in cost savings and rapid scalability in a renewable world. Kraken also enables better and faster service to customers.

The advanced operating system also acts as a gateway to an electrified future and has enabled clients to create world-first products that unlock a smarter, greener grid. 

Kraken has recently opened up its successful demand response application, Smart Flex, to all licensees, allowing them to create smart tariffs and control home devices to operate at the cheapest, greenest times. This saves consumers money and helps to balance the grid.

It seamlessly integrates devices like EVs into the grid, enabling smarter usage which lowers bills for customers. This is of particular significance as the Queensland government has legislated a renewable energy target of 50% by 2030 and created a comprehensive roadmap to Net Zero by 2050 with the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan (QEJP). 

Ayesha Razzaq, Executive General Manager Retail at EQL, commented: “In responding to the energy transition, traditional utilities can either wait to be disrupted or change things themselves. Change is never easy, but to have an enterprise transformation program completed ahead of schedule is a credit to the technology, the deployment method, quality of the people and our partnership with Kraken.

Ergon Energy Retail now operates on Australia’s leading retail tech platform, positioning us for the energy transition.  We have created sustained value for our customers, employees, and future growth, mitigating technical debt and setting the stage for future innovation”.

Gavin Patterson, Chairman of Kraken Technologies, commented, “Our partnership with Energy Queensland, one of Australia's energy leaders, has borne an incredible record in how fast you can migrate a customer after signing a deal with Kraken. Together, we will revolutionise the energy landscape in Queensland and help to deliver a customer-obsessed, people-centric, agile retail business.”

Kraken offers its clients end-to-end management of the whole energy supply chain, increasing flexibility and unrivalled scaling potential in a renewable world. The platform also provides relentless efficiency, with a cost-to-serve up to 40% lower than other energy suppliers, and has delivered best-in-customer-service accolades for clients who moved onto Kraken. 

Kraken is already contracted to manage over 50 million accounts worldwide through partnerships with renowned companies such as EDF Energy, E.ON energy and Origin.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors: 

Media contacts

Octopus Energy Press office

press@kraken.tech

+44 2045308369

About Energy Queensland Limited 

Energy Queensland Limited (EQL) is a wholly Queensland government-owned electricity company. Our 'poles and wires' businesses, Ergon Energy Network and Energex, deliver electricity across Queensland. We energise the lives of more than five million Queenslanders through more than 200,000 kilometres of electricity networks, and 33 stand-alone microgrids. Our retailer, Ergon Energy Retail, sells this electricity to its 758,000 customers throughout regional Queensland, with generation, energy trading and retailing capabilities. Our customer numbers make us the fourth largest retailer in the National Electricity Market (NEM). Visit us at https://www.energyq.com.au/.

About Kraken Technologies

Kraken Technologies offers a best-in-class end-to-end platform for energy supply and is operating in the UK, Japan, US, New Zealand, Australia, and most of mainland Europe. Kraken’s proprietary platform is contracted to serve 54 million customer accounts across the globe through licensees. Its first client was Octopus Energy, where Kraken manages 7.8 million retail customers globally and over 60,000 business customers (the largest of which is Arsenal FC).

Based on advanced data and machine learning capabilities, Kraken automates much of the energy supply chain to allow outstanding service and efficiency as the world transitions to a decentralised, decarbonised energy system. Kraken manages more than 38 gigawatts in utility scale assets. These span a wide range of technologies, from off-shore wind to grid-scale batteries. Kraken is also a global leader in the rapidly growing field of domestic flexibility. The platform already handles 162,000 domestic devices, totalling over a gigawatt of power.

Kraken Technologies is part of Octopus Energy Group and was developed to enable select third parties to take advantage of the technologies developed by Octopus Energy. It has already been licensed by major global players, including Origin Energy, E.ON and EDF. https://kraken.tech/

https://kraken.tech/