ESG technology helps 6,000 customers switch energy supplier in three days

Technology developed by Chorley-based ESG has helped more than 6,000 homes and businesses switch energy suppliers since OFGEM implemented new rules on July 18.

The energy regulator's new centralised switching service (CSS) has become mandatory for all suppliers and offers customers a seamless way to switch providers. A process that previously took several weeks can now be completed within one working day.

ESG has liaised closely with the regulator since the CSS was first announced and began developing the Halo adapter in 2019.

Halo eases integration between energy suppliers to enable faster and smoother switching for their customers, while avoiding any disruption to their back office systems.

The Halo adapter has helped energy companies achieve such a smooth transition by absorbing most of the technical change within ESG systems. The company’s in-house energy sector tech specialists handled all the requirements of the switching programme, including multiple levels of mandatory testing across several applications. Working with both energy suppliers and third parties, ESG embedded testing in the development process to ensure seamless integration ready for the CSS launch.

This has enabled the 29 energy suppliers now using Halo to operate as normal and remain compliant at every stage of the transition to the CSS, and ESG has been able to help its customers to meet every deadline set by Ofgem.

Elaine Eyles, ESG’s programme director, said: "For energy suppliers, the faster switching programme has been a long-term, compulsory and complex process. By developing Halo, ESG has been able to remove layers of complexity for our customers, allowing them to focus on their business.

"Our job has been to deliver for our customers, enabling them to comply with new rules, and to adapt to new tech formats and file integration. Halo has achieved all of that, and we are really proud to have provided a solution that has enabled a third of energy companies to transition to CSS requirements so easily from day one.

"The proof of that success is in the 6,000 rapid switches that were achieved in the first three days after the CSS launch."