Wattn is a Norwegian energy company providing smart and sustainable electricity solutions to customers across Norway.

Norwegian electricity retailers face a series of challenges in an increasingly competitive energy market. With the rise of renewable energy sources, decentralized energy production, and evolving consumer expectations, retailers seek to differentiate themselves while ensuring sustainable growth.

Wattn defined the following core objectives

• Increase customer loyalty by delivering smart energy services that provide added value
• Offer innovative solutions without requiring extensive in-house development resources
• Establish technical and commercial partnerships that ensure future-proof flexibility in handling volatility in the energy market

To achieve these goals, Wattn decided to partner with Onics (former Datek Smart Home), a cutting-edge provider of smart energy solutions. Through this collaboration, Wattn was able to leverage Onics’ suite of technologies, including the Eva App, a comprehensive cloud platform, and a complete hardware kit for home energy management. This case study explores the impact of these solutions on Wattn’s business strategy and customer experience.

Challenges and market dynamics

Before engaging with Onics, Wattn faced several pressing challenges

1. Customer Retention and Loyalty
   The energy sector has high customer churn due to price-driven switching behaviours. Wattn needed to provide added value to retain customers and enhance their lifetime value.
2. Limited In-House Development Resources
   Developing and deploying innovative digital solutions required significant investment in technology and expertise. Wattn had key personnel with deep technical competence, and they quickly identified Onics as a solid partner with complementary capabilities and scalable capacity to deliver what they needed on strategic and operational levels.
3. Futureproofing for Market Volatility
   ‍The rise of electrification (due to higher numbers of EVs, EV chargers, heat pumps, etc.), along with interconnected energy markets and increase in intermittent renewable energy production, has led to higher volatility in supply and demand of energy. This has resulted in a need to utilize distributed energy resources (DERs) in new ways, requiring new services, business models, and technological capabilities.

Onics provided Wattn with a tailored suite of solutions designed to address these challenges effectively.

1. Eva Smart Energy – Enhancing customer engagement
   The Eva Smart Energy service provided Wattn’s customers with full smart home functionality, allowing them to monitor and optimize their energy consumption. Features such as automated energy-saving, remote appliance control, and real-time consumption insights empowered users, making them more engaged and less likely to switch providers.
2. Cloud Platform – rapid innovation without heavy development costs
   Onics’ cloud platform enabled Wattn to build and customize customer-facing applications under their own brand. This provided them with a significant competitive advantage, as they could roll out new features and services quickly without investing in extensive software development. The platform ensured seamless scalability, allowing Wattn to target relevant customer segments efficiently and grow their customer base sustainably.
3. Home energy management kit – preparing for the flexibility market
   Onics’ hardware kit for home energy management enabled Wattn’s customers to integrate with distributed energy resources (DER). This capability will position Wattn to participate in the future flexibility market and allow them to offer value-added services, such as demand response programs and energy trading. As this market matures, Wattn will be well-placed to leverage these opportunities.

By integrating Onics’ solutions, Wattn expects to realize significant value in three key areas:

1. Improved customer loyalty and lifetime value

• Personalized energy insights and smart home capabilities create a stronger emotional connection between customers and the Wattn brand.
• Increased engagement leads to higher satisfaction and reduced churn rates.

2. Accelerated time-to-market for new services

• The ready-to-use cloud platform empowers Wattn to launch innovative services quickly, staying ahead of competitors.
• Lower development costs free up resources for other strategic initiatives.

3. Strategic positioning in the future energy market

• With DER integration, Wattn is prepared to capitalize on flexibility market opportunities as they emerge.
• The ability to offer energy management solutions strengthens Wattn’s position as a national player.

Partnership for growth

By partnering with Onics, Wattn has successfully addressed its key business challenges while positioning itself for long-term success in the Norwegian energy market.

The combination of a smart energy app, cloud-based innovation capabilities, and home energy management solutions has provided Wattn with a robust platform for customer retention, service expansion, and future market participation.

As the energy landscape continues to evolve, Wattn is now equipped with the tools and strategies to thrive in an increasingly dynamic environment.