Portsmouth Water pledges technology move will boost customer service and smart meter rollout
Portsmouth Water has become the first firm outside of the energy sector, to licence a technology that has streamlined customer service in energy retail globally and fulled the rise of its creator, Octopus Energy, to the UK's second largest energy supplier.
Other energy suppliers serving over 30 million customers globally also now contract to use Kraken.
Portsmouth said Octopus’ Kraken technology – a customer-centric platform based on "advanced data and machine learning" – will enable it to “deliver the finest overall service in the industry”. And the water company has asserted that Kraken would support it to:
drive down per capita consumption;
roll out smart meters, which in turn will reduce leakage and increase water efficiency;
identify customers needing priority services more quickly; and
potentially replicate “Octopus’ famously efficient operating model which reduces the cost-to-serve by up to 40% and leads to better client and employee satisfaction.”
The platform will serve all of Portsmouth's customers.
Chief executive of Portsmouth Water, Bob Taylor, said he believed Kraken will "provide our customers with a more efficient and transparent service, meanwhile ensuring our systems are safe and secure". He added: "Most vitally, Kraken will allow us to supercharge the smart meter rollout in the water industry and will help our customers understand their consumption and identify leaks quickly and easily.”
Taylor's counterpart at Kraken for Utilities, Deepak Ravindran, said: “Portsmouth Water has proven it is one of the most forward-thinking utility companies in the UK, and is committed to improving the water industry through better customer experience and products. By partnering with Kraken, Portsmouth Water will be able to unlock new levels of efficiency and benefit from a formula that has seen countless energy companies improve their relationships with customers and regulators.”
Chief customer officer at Portsmouth, Matthew Hamilton, added: “Together with Kraken, Portsmouth Water is playing a key part in shaping the future of customer service in water.”
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