What do you enjoy most about Christmas? Is it seeing the ads from Aldi and John Lewis on the telly? Is it playing boardgames with your family? Is it seeing your children’s faces when they open up a well thought-out present and not necessarily one that costs the earth? Festive get-togethers with friends in the pub perhaps?

At this time of year, I like to look back and think about everything that we have achieved as a company. It has been a busy year.

One great moment was the launch of our new product Smart Datastream which allows organisations interested in tapping into the rich stream of smart meter data to easily hook into our own tried and tested connection to the Data Communications Company (DCC) backbone. This is as a result of achieving what is known as DCC Other User accreditation, which means we have already passed all the stringent privacy and security audits required by the Smart Energy Code. This reduces a significant burden for companies wanting to access data from 30 million smart meters across the country.

Part of my role is to be one of the public faces of Procode at various industry events. It is always great to meet existing customers and to share the Procode vision for energy tech with potential customers.

In May this year, I attended the Digital Transformation Conference and spoke on stage about how Smart Datastream can help businesses create tailored insights for their business change needs using smart meter data. It was great to share our vision for positive change but also to learn from other innovators, such as Citi, the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, and Walgreens Boots Alliance.

Last month, a team from Procode attended the EMEX net zero and energy management event at ExCeL in London. We welcomed many industry visitors to our stand who wanted to learn about how Procode could help them be a part of the future of energy. Many went away clutching handfuls of cool swag too!

In October, Procode made history with our customer Utilita when they became the first energy supplier to complete Phase One of the Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlements – or MHHS - programme.

Procode developed a brand-new bespoke adaptor that enables Utilita to communicate with the MHHS programme’s new Data Integration Platform.

The adaptor sailed through the first major gateway of the programme, functional testing, in first place. We have now moved onto the next phase, Component Integration Testing, with Utilita. We are also now working on the requirements for the ADS and SDS Roles, which will enable us to provide the full service to suppliers.

New products like Smart Datastream and our innovations around MHHS have brought Procode to the attention of companies far and wide, allowing us to work with many more customers than ever before. It is a privilege to be considered a trusted technology partner for so many energy companies.

Our LinkedInfollowing grew by 206% in 2023; a testament to the excellent teamwork and development of Procode’s product offering. Let’s see if we can match this in 2024!

Successes like these have enabled us to grow our team, doubling in size over the past year. The new members of our team have come to work in an environment that people love – this year we have achieved Great Place to Work status. This certification looks at things like treatment at work regardless of race and sexual orientation and being made to feel welcome and safe in the workplace. It is a wonderful accolade to receive and the high percentage of people who say they enjoy working here is testament to the supportive, inclusive and innovation-minded workplace that Procode offers.

Although many people love the Christmas period, we know that Christmas is a difficult time for many. This is why we have chosen to support Hope for Food, a charity based in Bournemouth set up and run entirely by volunteers. Set up in 2012 by Claire Matthews, Hope for Food provides 1,200 hot meals, 1,200 sandwiches and 1,200 cups of soup to people in need every month. We are proud to be involved with Hope for Food and make regular donations as well as running regular fundraising initiatives. We helped the food bank with donations of over 500 items during the charity’s Reverse Advent appeal, headed up by Kate Pratt.

Whatever your favourite moment of the festive period, and however you choose to celebrate, I want to wish you, your family and friends a very happy Christmas and a healthy and happy new year for 2024.