Waracle secures major contract with SP Energy Networks

Scottish technology services company Waracle has secured a multi-million-pound contract with SP Energy Networks to expedite the latter's digital technology initiatives.

The partnership aims to simplify the process for thousands of households equipped with electric vehicle (EV) chargers, solar panels, and heat pumps to connect to the grid.

SP Energy Networks, which operates under the ScottishPower group, manages the electricity network across central and southern Scotland, as well as parts of Merseyside and North Wales. The company serves over 3.5 million homes and businesses in the United Kingdom.

Under the new agreement, Waracle will develop a digital customer experience designed to provide an automated self-serve solution. This initiative is expected to meet the growing demand for network connections from both residential and commercial customers.

The Dundee-based firm has previously collaborated with ScottishPower and its parent company Iberdrola since 2016. Past projects include the development of the YourEnergy app, which enables millions of customers to monitor energy usage and submit meter readings.

This new partnership is expected to support more than a dozen jobs in Glasgow, Dundee, and Edinburgh. This will further solidify Waracle’s standing as a prominent player in mobile and digital product development within the utilities sector.

Additionally, the company has recently experienced growth in its London office, following successful engagements south of the border. This expansion bolsters Waracle’s UK-wide presence in the energy, financial services, and health sectors.

David Romilly, Waracle's co-founder, expressed enthusiasm about the new partnership, saying, "We’re excited to bring Waracle's track record in customer experience, digital product development, and emerging technologies to one of the UK's largest electricity network providers."

Romilly also commended the SP Energy Networks Business Transformation Team, stating, "The Waracle team has been incredibly impressed with the leadership, passion, and ambition of the SP Energy Networks Business Transformation Team, and we’re delighted to have been chosen as the successful bidder following an exhaustive tender process."

Lynda Ward, Business Transformation Director at SP Energy Networks, echoed this sentiment. "We’re delighted to be working with Waracle to deliver our crucial digitalisation agenda. The team at Waracle has demonstrated the value it can bring to the table over several years working with the ScottishPower group, and I’m excited about the prospects for this new partnership as we look to introduce new and innovative digital solutions across a range of systems and processes," she said.

Ward also emphasised SP Energy Networks' commitment to improving customer services through digitalisation and progressing towards net zero.

Just a month prior to this announcement, Waracle acquired Glasgow-based design and software engineering agency Screenmedia. The acquisition further expands Waracle's capabilities and staffing levels.

Waracle now employs over 200 people across its offices in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee. The company is supported by growth capital investor BGF and boasts a client roster that includes notable names such as Lloyds Banking Group, Royal London, Roche, and Imperial College London.