For more than a decade, the world has been living in what is known as the zettabyte era, when the total amount of digital data exceeds 1021 bytes, or one with 21 zeroes after it. With such a vast amount of data, having the right technologies in place to handle that data is crucial. In the world of energy, the introduction of the smart meter has led to an acceleration of the amount of data, enabling consumers to better understand their usage, helping them reduce bills and supporting them to meet net zero ambitions.

In this joint thought piece, we, Procode and Utilidex, outline the power of agile development, the benefits of adopting cloud technology and the importance of having the most robust data available.

Procode and Utilidex have known each other and have been collaborative discussions with respect to our complementary business lines for a number of years. Over and above business, one particular area where we have converged is technically where we leverage similar architecture patterns in Microsoft cloud.

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The power of being agile

Many companies claim to use agile development methods but the truth is often very different; the company will promise agile but they quickly slide back into less efficient waterfall methods that are not laser-focused on a customer’s real needs. Procode and Utilidex are agile through and through.  

Research by the Association of Project Management among 850 project management professionals found that agile project management has had a positive effect in 76% of projects. Agile project management shows benefits both externally and internally. A McKinsey study on the performance of agile business units found that 93% enjoyed better customer satisfaction, 76% better employee engagement and 93% better operational performance than non-agile business units. This is why both Procode and Utilidex trust in ‘agile’, to allow them to pivot and reprioritise to meet customers’ needs quickly.

“By focusing on the customer first, we ensure that our solutions not only meet their requirements but also provide a world-class experience. This approach allows us to deliver software that adds value and drives success for our clients,” says Procode’s Head of Commercial Technology, Darren Cheeseright.

“To ensure the highest level of quality and efficiency, we embrace multiple levels of Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD). Our comprehensive CI/CD pipelines enable us to deliver complete solutions as well as individual microservices and components seamlessly. This approach streamlines the development process, reduces errors, and facilitates faster time-to-market, empowering our clients to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving business landscape.” Utilidex runs similar architecture patterns and deployments to Procode.  

With software releases every two weeks to its customers and hosting in Microsoft Azure, Utilidex has been leveraging the tools and frameworks available in the cloud for a number of years. Like Procode we are transitioning to a microservices environment to support an improved user experience which does not deteriorate with more smart meters. Further individual services if well managed can be re-purposed to support new use cases and drive customer value. There are also possible infrastructure cost savings through utilising microservices where you effectively pay as you use.

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The power of technology

Top-performing companies like Utilidex and Procode know that using the right technology delivers a huge competitive advantage. Both have embraced Microsoft’s Azure cloud-based technology extensively. Both Procode and Utildiex are also a firm believers in infrastructure as code (IaC), the concept that infrastructure can be managed and provisioned through code instead of manual deployment.

IaC promotes efficiency and cost savings through managing, and configuring computing resources such as servers, storage, networks, and applications as if they were software. Data and privacy is vitally important, and both Parties have built security into everything we do with infrastructure as code.

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Why having robust data is vital

There is a concept in technology called garbage in, garbage out. It encapsulates the idea that if the data going into a system is not robust then what comes out of the other end is effectively useless. Procode’s Energy Expert technology automates processes such as meter validations, errors, meter reading and change of supply disputes.

Typical issues that adversely impact business is meter data quality, the ability to automatically reconcile bills or a market message failure. Through smart workflow and design outlier issues can be isolated thus minimising the impact of garbage data being processed by our respective systems.  

In the world of energy, having the best possible metering data means we can be certain that billing is as accurate and as timely as possible. Procode’s Smart Datastream technology is supplier-agnostic and grants energy companies access the UK’s growing estate of smart meters, without having to go to the cost, time and effort of gaining accreditation and approval to directly access the DCC communications backbone that forms the link between energy suppliers and businesses and householders across the UK.  

This allows businesses to take back control of their energy data to ensure bills are based on the correct consumption, and through exposing this data via Utilidex, end customers can also address behavioural change initiatives or the impacts of carbon reducing projects based on robust internal and external data sets.

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‍From Measurement to Management

Data collection is only the beginning. The real value comes from turning that data into actionable insight.

With fuels, oils, power, and gas now presented together, organisations can begin to ask more strategic questions:

• How do fuel-based emissions compare to those from grid electricity?

• Which sites or vehicle fleets present the greatest decarbonisation opportunity?

• How would switching from heating oil to renewable heat, or from diesel to EVs, affect total Scope 1 and 2 emissions?

• What would be the financial impact of such transitions under different energy-price scenarios?

This capability moves Utilidex customers beyond simple measurement toward decision-enablement. The platform becomes not just a system of record but a system of advantage, a digital partner that informs investment choices and supports the roadmap to net zero.

Enabling the Energy Transition

The integration of fuel data also empowers energy suppliers, consultants, and partners to play a more proactive role in their clients’ decarbonisation journeys.

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For Suppliers

Suppliers can now understand the fuel mix across an entire portfolio, not just the electricity or gas they provide. This insight allows them to support carbon-saving initiatives aligned with customer goals, such as renewable-heat projects, gas substitution strategies, or hybrid energy solutions. By aligning commodity supply with decarbonisation targets, suppliers become trusted partners in the energy transition rather than mere providers of kilowatt-hours or litres.

For End Customers

End users, whether public-sector estates, industrial operators, or multi-site corporates, gain a holistic picture of their current position. They can assess their total emissions baseline, model potential pathways, and set priorities grounded in data. Without this integrated view, it’s impossible to know which actions deliver the greatest impact or return on investment.

For Carbon Consultants and Engineers

Engineering-led carbon consultants can overlay technical feasibility assessments onto the same dataset, supporting clients in identifying retrofit options, fuel-switching opportunities, and new-build energy strategies. A unified platform reduces time spent consolidating data and allows more time for what matters, designing practical pathways to decarbonisation.

Compliance and Reporting: Simplified and Strengthened

Reporting is another area of immediate value. With Utilidex, organisations no longer need to juggle multiple spreadsheets or separate systems to satisfy disclosure obligations.

The platform brings natural gas, power, and fuels into a single reporting environment, producing automated outputs aligned with regulatory and voluntary frameworks. This unified dataset supports:

• Streamlined SECR and ESOS submissions with verified emission factors.

• Corporate ESG reporting under CDP, GRESB, and TCFD frameworks.

• Consistent audit trails for internal and external verification.

• Portfolio benchmarking, enabling performance comparison across regions, assets, and business units.

As regulatory requirements tighten, the ability to demonstrate accuracy, completeness, and traceability in carbon data will become a key differentiator. Utilidex provides that assurance.

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A Step Toward Predictive Carbon Management

Looking ahead, integration opens the door to predictive and AI-assisted carbon management. With all commodities consolidated in one environment, Utilidex can apply machine learning and analytics to forecast future emissions trajectories, test “what-if” transition scenarios, and model cost-to-carbon trade-offs.

This evolution mirrors what’s happening in energy trading, where the shift from reactive systems to predictive intelligence is transforming decision-making. The same principle applies here: carbon data that once provided visibility can now deliver foresight.

Imagine being able to see not just where your emissions have been, but where they are likely to go under different procurement or investment strategies. That is the future Utilidex is enabling.

From Visibility to Decision-Enablement

For years, carbon reporting has been about compliance, producing spreadsheets, aligning factors, and submitting disclosures. But as the energy transition accelerates, organisations need tools that don’t just report but guide.

By combining fuels, oils, natural gas, and electricity within a single system, Utilidex transforms carbon accounting into carbon intelligence. The platform delivers:

• Visibility – comprehensive data coverage across all energy sources.

• Insight – unified analytics to identify reduction opportunities.

• Enablement – actionable information to support investment and operational decisions.

This marks a fundamental shift, from monitoring to managing, from compliance to strategy.

Defining the Next Era of Energy Data Management

The addition of fuels and oils data is more than a feature; it’s a statement about where the industry is headed. Energy management is evolving from siloed monitoring to integrated, AI-ready ecosystems that inform every stage of the decarbonisation journey.

In this new era:

• Suppliers collaborate with customers to design low-carbon supply portfolios.

• Consultants use unified data to deliver engineering-based transition roadmaps.

• Customers gain the confidence to make investment decisions backed by accurate, consolidated evidence.

As energy systems become more complex, decentralised, digitised, and decarbonised, the ability to connect commodities, convert data, and create actionable intelligence will define leadership.

Looking Ahead

At Utilidex, our goal is simple: to make carbon and energy data work harder for our customers. The expansion of our platform to capture fuels and oils brings us another step closer to that goal.

By delivering a unified view across electricity, gas, and fuels, we help organisations turn information into insight and insight into action, supporting smarter, faster, and more confident decisions on the path to net zero.

This is not just about better reporting; it’s about empowering the energy transition, one dataset at a time.

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