John’s career started out in defence and security, working on advanced systems development. He moved into the energy sector ten years ago, working to apply the industrial systems development approaches widespread in other sectors but not widely applied within the energy sector as yet. He is currently Head of Architecture and Transformation at the Energy Systems Catapult. He leads work on how digital technology can enable a traditionally system-centric energy industry to become truly customer-centric. Advanced trials have revealed huge potential to use digital technology to create a whole new language for energy retail built around the service outcomes people care about; instead of units like kWs and kWhs people can’t relate in any way to their everyday experiences. In these trials, participants changed from passive bill payers to discerning customers whose expectations could be discussed, shaped and agreed. This is opening new opportunities for fundamentally rethinking how the whole energy value chain is organised to serve those that ultimately pay for it and to unlock the path to decarbonisation as we enter the more challenging phases, like tackling domestic heating, where customer engagement will be critical.