Flexibility is becoming part of what energy retailers offer. Our new buyer's guide sets out the decisions that matter, the questions to ask vendors, and how to compare their answers.
Customers already own much of what it takes: batteries, EVs, heat pumps and solar. For an energy retailer, the opportunity is a service that saves and earns customers money, under your own brand.
Five areas to evaluate
Asset coverage. Ideally, one platform covers everything your customers own: newer devices through the manufacturer's cloud API, older ones through a gateway on site. Several providers can work, but they add complexity for your own teams and usually lower customer earnings and savings.
Market coverage. The same site can earn in several markets. Look for a platform that stacks value across markets, and optimises several assets on one site together.
Customer experience. Customers should see your brand, not your vendor's. What matters is whether the platform has thought about the end customer, from onboarding to what households see when their devices are used.
Commercial fit. Most retailers want to limit risk and protect their brand while they learn. A modular platform lets you start small, keep what you already have in place, and grow with a partner that helps you launch.
Value claims. Ask about the full value: savings behind the meter as well as earnings in front of it. Then ask how each number is made, and give every vendor the same year of your own data to simulate on.
A fair tender, and a scorecard
The guide closes with five tips for running a fair tender, advice on judging how it is to work with each vendor, and a weighted scorecard to compare vendors side by side.