Kraken and Calisen reveal UK smart meter partnership

Smart meter company Calisen has partnered with Kraken to modernise the management of its nationwide engineering workforce as the UK's smart meter rollout enters a more complex phase.

The first-of-its-kind agreement will see Calisen deploy workplace management platform Kraken Field on the Kraken operating system to coordinate scheduling, job dispatch and engineer deployment across its field operations.

Calisen owns and manages the largest portfolio of smart meters in the UK. It employs around 1,100 field engineers and carries out a home visit every six seconds. The company expects the new platform to improve operational efficiency by automating many of the planning tasks traditionally handled manually.

Smart meters are one of the foundations of a more flexible energy system, but the rollout depends on thousands of field visits being planned and completed reliably. By modernising the operational layer behind those visits, Kraken and Calisen can help accelerate the deployment and maintenance of the infrastructure the UK needs for a cleaner, more flexible grid.

Optimisation technology

Kraken's software uses workforce optimisation technology to match engineers with suitable jobs based on factors including location, skills and equipment requirements. By reducing unnecessary travel and improving scheduling, the system is intended to increase the number of successful appointments while improving first-time fix rates and reducing missed appointments.

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Discussing the broader context of this agreement, Amir Orad, chief executive of Kraken, said: “The energy transition depends on the deployment of smarter infrastructure at national scale – and to make the operations behind it just as intelligent. 

"Calisen has built one of the UK’s most important smart-metering platforms, and Kraken Field optimisation will help make every visit count: improving first-time success, reducing unnecessary miles and giving customers a faster, more reliable service.”

Meter maturity

Calisen chief executive Catherine O’Kelly also commented on the bigger picture, mentioning that around three quarters of British homes now have smart meters. “In this mature and more complex phase of the roll out, the remaining installations are in harder to reach homes, we are fixing non-communicating meters and performing upgrades. 

"At the same time, consumers are rightly demanding this crucial bit of kit is functioning well as they look to install solar panels and batteries or switch to EVs. This new phase of the smart meter system is more technical, with tougher penalties for suppliers when things go wrong. 

"It is therefore vital that we have the best systems in place to ensure our 1,100-field force is in the right place at the right time with the right equipment to improve customer service. Kraken offers the best way for us to secure this ambition.” 

The partnership with Kraken is part of Calisen’s wider technology transformation programme, which is being delivered in pilot phases by a dedicated internal team in partnership with key industry players such as Kraken and with the support of ‘early adopter’ employees within the business.