Rethinking energy retail for real customers, and why who’s in the room matters

Energy conferences often talk about “the customer” as if it were an abstract concept.

But the customer is simply all of us:  the person scrolling through tariff comparisons over coffee, the household trying to make sense of a bill that seems higher than expected, the EV owner wondering whether charging overnight actually saves money.

Which is why conversations about innovation in energy retail ultimately come back to a simple test: does it make life easier for real people?

That question was very relevant at this year’s IDC European Utilities Xchange in Valencia, themed “Powering Progress Together.”

Because powering progress in the energy sector isn’t only about technology or market models – it’s also about how the industry works together to create solutions that genuinely make sense for customers.

To explore that, Gentrack was tasked with contributing to the agenda with a roundtable titled: “From supply to solutions: which new energy offerings are really scaling in Europe?”

The discussion, focused on the practical realities behind new energy propositions – what’s genuinely gaining traction, what still feels experimental, and what utilities need in place to move beyond pilots to something commercially sustainable.

While perspectives varied across markets, a few themes kept resurfacing.

Affordability still sets the boundaries

Innovation sounds exciting. But the moment affordability enters the conversation, the tone quickly changes.

Energy retailers are navigating a delicate balance: supporting the transition while recognising a simple truth, consumers remain extremely price sensitive, particularly in times of economic uncertainty.

If a new product or service doesn’t make sense economically for customers, it simply won’t scale, however innovative it might look on paper.

When competition is price-led, what else is there?

For domestic and industrial energy suppliers alike, competition often gravitates back to price. Which raises a familiar question: If energy is still largely compared on price, where does differentiation really come from?

Increasingly, the answer points toward customer experience, bundled services and behind-the-meter propositions, provided they deliver genuine value for the customer, whether by helping them save money, manage their consumption better, or make more informed choices.

One caveat applies: from a customer perspective, less friction beats more features.

Customers want convenience, not complexity.

Yet the operational reality behind delivering many of these offers, such as pricing management, offer personalisation or faster time-to-market, quickly becomes challenging when systems are not fit for purpose.

“If customers still read the PDF bill, something isn’t working”

This line during the roundtable raised a few smiles. But it captures an uncomfortable truth.

Billing remains one of the most regular touchpoints utilities have with their customers. Yet too often it sends people back into static documents rather than intuitive digital journeys.

If the only way to understand your energy is to carefully read a PDF bill, the digital experience probably isn’t doing its job.

AI enters the conversation, for real

AI inevitably appeared across several discussions, though the tone was refreshingly pragmatic.

The question isn’t whether AI will play a role in energy retail, it already does. The real focus is how it delivers tangible value for both customers and retailers, and how it can be implemented responsibly at scale.

Several practical applications came up repeatedly:

• Improving customer service through faster, more contextual support
• Providing clearer insights into energy consumption and behaviour
• Enabling more relevant tariffs and offers based on real usage pattern
• What stood out most, however, was the recognition that success with AI is not just about the technology itself. It requires strong data foundations, clear governance and the ability to deploy solutions in a controlled and transparent way.

And as several discussions highlighted, its value ultimately comes down to the same test as any other innovation: customers should actually feel the benefit.

A call for diverse perspectives

Many conversations in Valencia kept returning to the same reality: innovation in energy retail only matters if it actually works for customers.

Not innovation for its own sake. Not complexity disguised as progress.

But solutions that are relevant, realistic and genuinely convenient in everyday life.

Designing those solutions, however, requires something just as important: perspective.

Understanding what customers really need means bringing together people with different experiences, viewpoints and ideas, something that felt particularly relevant at a conference themed “Powering Progress Together.”

At many industry events, female representation still has some way to go. Which makes strong female leadership, such as that of Roberta Bigliani and Gaia Gallotti, who shaped this year’s IDC European Utilities Xchange agenda, both visible and important.

As International Women’s Day approaches, it’s a timely reminder that building an energy system that truly works for customers starts with ensuring the people shaping it reflect the people it serves.

Because powering progress together isn’t just about technology, it’s also about who is part of the conversation.