The SmartestEnergy journey: A decade of development

As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations, we’re spotlighting the stories of colleagues who’ve helped shape our success. In this piece, Owen Moulton, Strategic Development Manager, reflects on his 10-year career with the company, his path from marketing to sales leadership, and what excites him about the future of the energy industry.

I joined SmartestEnergy over a decade ago, starting out in the marketing team. My role at the time was proposition-focused, which meant shaping products and services into clear propositions we could communicate. That work brought me into close contact with customer-facing teams—sales, customer services, and trading—and gave me a deep appreciation of how our market-leading service connected with customers.

It wasn’t long before I found myself drawn into sales, supporting the team wherever I could. Eventually, an opportunity came up to move across, and I took it. That decision changed my career.

My career journey at SmartestEnergy

Over the past 10 years, I’ve been guided, challenged, and supported by colleagues across the business. I’ve had the chance to move from Account Manager into Strategic Account Management, then on to creating our Major Account Management Team, and most recently into Strategic Development.

SmartestEnergy has always valued its people. That’s reflected in the opportunities available to those who want to grow and deliver, and in the fact that so many of us choose to stay. This company has truly transformed my career.

How the business has evolved

When I started, SmartestEnergy was a developing challenger supplier. Today, we’re the UK’s third-largest C&I supplier with a global presence.

Despite that growth, the essence of SmartestEnergy remains the same. Our belief in people and our customer-first focus still sit at the heart of how we operate. We’ve never become complacent. Instead, we use success as a springboard for more, and that’s something that defines our culture.

Achievements I’m proud of

One of the highlights of my time here has been helping to lead our renewable supply journey. I had a key role in developing the UK’s first Independently Certified Renewable Product, working to understand customer needs and shape a message that made sense both for them and for TPIs.

That experience set me on a path to becoming a renewable supply lead at SmartestEnergy. Since then, I’ve been involved in everything from CPPAs to developing, fronting, and launching our Traceable Supply Product. Each of these milestones has helped us set new standards for renewable solutions and shape the future direction of the industry.

How SmartestEnergy has supported me

Throughout my career, SmartestEnergy has invested in my development—funding my CIM Level 6 Marketing qualification, providing specific training to strengthen weaker areas, and supporting my Carbon Literacy training.

But support has gone beyond training. I’ve been encouraged to take opportunities that might not have been possible elsewhere. Moving from marketing into sales, for example, would have seemed unusual in many businesses, but here it was seen as a chance to grow. That trust, paired with the expertise and emotional intelligence of the team, made it a success.

It’s also the kind of place where leaders take a genuine interest in you. I still remember being at a Christmas party when the CEO turned to me and said, “So, you’ve had a successful year—what am I going to see next year?” The fact that he followed up on that the next year says everything about our culture.

The future of the energy industry

The energy industry never stands still. When I started, it was the “energy trilemma” and shifts away from subsidies like LEC, RO, and FiT, while bringing in CM and CfD. Now, the challenge is achieving net zero.

I’m excited about the change to come: the opportunities of Market-wide Half Hourly Settlement (MHHS), the reforms under REMA, and the way fast-growing energy users like data centres and hydrogen will reshape demand. Each brings challenges but also chances for us to develop solutions that deliver real benefits for customers.

Looking further ahead, we face questions about the role of hydrogen in utilities and transport, the pace of de-gasification, the future of the grid, and which renewable technologies will emerge next. Storage is another huge area—can it scale sustainably to meet demand? The only certainty is change, and that’s what makes this industry so exciting.

What’s next

The level and pace of change will be one of the biggest challenges—and biggest opportunities—for businesses on their net-zero journeys. Our role is to create solutions that help customers not just cope with this change but flourish in it.

After 10 years here, I can say with confidence that SmartestEnergy is in a great position to lead. And as we celebrate 25 years as a business, I’m looking forward to seeing how we continue to grow, innovate, and support our customers for the next 25.