Consumers as Drivers of the Energy Transition – Inspiring Impulses at IE2S REFLECT
Bastian Gierull on Customer Centricity as the Key to a Successful Energy Transition
On October 9, 2025, IE2S hosted the second edition of its internal event series REFLECT. REFLECT offers employees the opportunity to analyze future trends and cross-industry challenges together with external experts. This time, Bastian Gierull, CEO of Octopus Energy Germany, joined the event in Stuttgart. Under the theme “Energy transition – status quo and quo vadis?”, he explained how Octopus Energy is driving innovation in energy supply through digitalization, customer centricity, and smart solutions.
Dr. Sebastian Bothor
Experte für Entwicklungen und Trends auf dem Energiemarkt
Julia Donnelly
Expertin für die Transformation der Energieversorgung in Unternehmen
Xaver Pfab
Experte Industriepreisstrom aus Sicht der Großabnehmer
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Kai Hufendiek
Institutsleiter und Professor für Energiewirtschaft und Energiesysteme Energiemärkte und Intelligente Systeme
Dr. Andreas Bublitz
Experte für Energiesysteme und Abteilungsleiter Grid Connection & Customers bei TransnetBW GmbH
Consumers at the Heart of a Flexible Energy Future
In his keynote speech, Gierull convincingly demonstrated that the energy transition can succeed if the focus is consistently on consumers. With its “Customer Love” approach, Octopus Energy aims to overcome the negative associations many customers still hold towards energy suppliers. An innovative electricity rate combines the security of a fixed price with the advantages of smart energy management. In addition, the company enables participation in wind power projects and operates a user-friendly charging platform for electric vehicles. These innovative elements are designed to turn consumers into active participants in the energy transition. Gierull also emphasized the importance of agile organizational structures: in a rapidly changing industry, the ability to adapt quickly is a key competitive advantage.