Portsmouth Water has become the first water utility to use Kraken, a technology platform developed by Octopus Energy. The company says the partnership ‘ushers in a new era of digitalisation for the water industry’.
Enhancing operations and improving efficiency
Serving 324,000 customers, Portsmouth Water says it plans to use Kraken to enhance its operations significantly. The platform will enable the utility to reduce water consumption, deploy smart metres, improve water efficiency and reduce leaks.
Bob Taylor, CEO of Portsmouth Water says he anticipates the platform will provide customers with a more efficient and transparent service while ensuring system safety and security.
Kraken will further streamline essential services like Portsmouth Water’s social tariff for those on low incomes and the priority services register, which identifies customers in need of extra support during emergencies.
Bringing water experts together
Kraken and Portsmouth Water have also launched ‘The Water Lab’, which brings together a diverse group of stakeholders, including customers, water industry experts, regulators, and technology innovators, to collaborate on developing and testing new technologies to elevate the utility sector to what it claims is a ‘new standard’.
Catherine Jones, head of customer engagement at the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), has expressed support for the initiative, highlighting the importance of collaboration in the water sector.
“We’re excited to see what new ideas emerge from the Water Lab that can help people make the link between their water and energy use and we’re delighted to see such a broad spectrum of people and organisations involved in the lab,” she says.
The Water Lab's primary objectives include providing customers with a clearer view of their combined utility costs, delivering a better customer experience through innovative solutions, exploring new technologies to improve industry efficiencies and finding ways to reduce water and energy consumption for environmental protection.
Bob Taylor says he sees ‘The Water Lab’ as a vital step in the utility's journey toward customer-centricity and industry leadership.
“This is a unique opportunity to bring together the best minds in the industry to find new ways to improve the way we deliver water and energy services,” he says.
