The Next Wave: Integrating Smart Home, EV, and Prosumer Features into Energy Supplier Mobile Apps

Introduction: The New Frontier for Energy Supplier Apps

The energy sector is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the convergence of digital technology, consumer demand for smarter energy management, and the accelerating shift toward electrification and decentralization. As consumers become more engaged and proactive in managing their energy use—whether through smart home devices, electric vehicles (EVs), or home energy generation and storage—the expectations for what an energy supplier’s mobile app should deliver are rising rapidly.

Yet, despite this clear demand, most energy supplier apps remain focused on the basics: billing, meter readings, and account management. Advanced features that enable customers to control smart home devices, manage EV charging, or participate as "prosumers" (those who both consume and generate/store energy) are still rare in primary energy apps. This gap represents both a challenge and a significant opportunity for energy suppliers seeking to differentiate and future-proof their digital offerings.

Why Are Advanced Features Still Rare?

Research into the mobile experiences offered by leading energy suppliers reveals a sector still in the early stages of digital transformation. While adjacent industries—such as retail banking—have rapidly evolved to offer highly personalized, feature-rich mobile experiences, energy suppliers have largely treated their apps as secondary service channels, prioritizing web and contact centers for core customer interactions.

Several factors contribute to the slow adoption of advanced features in core energy apps:

Organizational Focus on Fundamentals: Most suppliers have concentrated on delivering essential self-service functions, such as bill payment and meter readings, to drive down cost-to-serve and support customer acquisition. Investment in "exciter" features—those that delight and differentiate—has been limited.
Siloed Innovation: Where innovation has occurred (e.g., time-of-use tariffs, EV integration, or smart home controls), it has often been piloted in separate, standalone apps or web portals rather than integrated into the main customer app. This approach fragments the customer experience and limits the potential for cross-service value.
Technical and Data Silos: Legacy IT architectures and fragmented data systems make it difficult to deliver seamless, connected experiences that span billing, usage analytics, device control, and third-party integrations.
Underestimation of Customer Demand: Many suppliers have not fully recognized how quickly consumer expectations are shifting, influenced by digital leaders in other sectors. Features once considered "nice-to-have"—such as real-time notifications, usage visualizations, or smart device integration—are now seen as must-haves by a growing segment of customers.

Early Movers: Signs of the Next Wave

Despite these challenges, a handful of energy suppliers are beginning to break the mold:

Octopus Energy has made significant strides by integrating open APIs, enabling customers to connect their energy usage data with smart home devices and voice assistants. Its Agile Tariff, which leverages real-time pricing, and integrations with EV charging and home automation platforms, set a new standard for what’s possible in a core energy app.
Scottish Power has improved its app by offering in-app connections to smart home devices and EV integration, moving beyond basic account management to deliver a more connected experience.
British Gas has developed the Hive ecosystem, though it remains a separate app. This demonstrates the potential for energy suppliers to offer comprehensive smart home management, but also highlights the need for integration into the primary customer app to maximize value and engagement.

These early movers illustrate that integrating advanced features is not only feasible but also valued by customers—especially as energy prices rise and consumers seek greater control and insight into their energy use.

The Value Proposition: Why Integration Matters

Integrating smart home, EV, and prosumer features into core energy apps unlocks a range of benefits for both customers and suppliers:

Deeper Engagement: Customers who can monitor, control, and optimize their energy use from a single app are more likely to engage regularly, increasing app stickiness and brand loyalty.
Personalized Insights: Leveraging data from smart meters, EVs, and home generation/storage systems enables suppliers to offer tailored advice, predictive alerts, and actionable recommendations—helping customers save money and reduce their carbon footprint.
Ecosystem Upsell: A connected app becomes a platform for cross-selling value-added services, such as appliance maintenance, EV charging plans, or home energy storage solutions.
Proactive Support: Real-time data and device integration allow suppliers to offer predictive maintenance, outage alerts, and peer-to-peer troubleshooting, reducing pressure on contact centers and improving customer satisfaction.
Enabling the Energy Transition: As more households adopt solar panels, batteries, and EVs, suppliers can facilitate participation in demand response, dynamic pricing, and peer-to-peer energy trading—positioning themselves at the heart of the new energy ecosystem.

Technical and Organizational Steps to Deliver the Next Wave

To realize this vision, energy suppliers must address both technical and organizational challenges:

1. Modernize the Technology Stack

Adopt Modular, API-Driven Architectures: Move away from monolithic legacy systems to flexible, microservices-based platforms that can integrate with third-party devices, services, and data sources.
Centralize and Standardize Data: Break down internal data silos to create a unified view of the customer, enabling personalized experiences and seamless cross-service journeys.
Invest in Security and Privacy: As apps handle more sensitive data and device controls, robust security and transparent privacy practices become paramount.

2. Build Cross-Functional Teams

Align Product, Technology, and Experience Teams: Delivering a truly connected app requires collaboration across product management, engineering, UX/UI design, and data analytics.
Adopt Agile Delivery Practices: Frequent, iterative releases allow suppliers to respond quickly to customer feedback and evolving market expectations.

3. Foster a Culture of Ecosystem Thinking

Partner with Technology Providers: Integrate with leading smart home, EV, and energy management platforms to accelerate feature development and expand the app’s value proposition.
Engage Customers as Co-Creators: Involve customers in the design and testing of new features, ensuring that the app evolves in line with real-world needs and behaviors.

4. Prioritize Mobile-First Innovation

Make Mobile the Default Channel for New Services: Use the app as the launchpad for innovative propositions—such as dynamic tariffs, EV charging management, or home energy trading—rather than relegating them to web or secondary apps.
Leverage Mobile-Exclusive Features: Harness the unique capabilities of mobile devices (e.g., push notifications, location services, biometric authentication) to deliver timely, contextual, and secure experiences.

Conclusion: The Time to Act Is Now

The next wave of digital transformation in energy is not about simply adding more features—it’s about reimagining the role of the energy supplier as a trusted partner in the connected home. As consumer expectations continue to rise, and as the energy transition accelerates, suppliers who invest in integrating smart home, EV, and prosumer features into their core mobile apps will be best positioned to lead.

The winners will be those who move beyond the basics, break down internal silos, and deliver seamless, value-added experiences that empower customers to take control of their energy future. The opportunity is clear—and the time to act is now.