A Chat with Mike Hallam, CEO at Clean Energy Company: egg

Tell us about egg energy, what is the company background and what industries do you service?

egg provides clean energy solutions to business and consumers in the form of solar panels, battery storage and electric vehicle chargers for all shapes and sizes of businesses, as well as residential homes around the UK.

We are pioneering clean energy solutions for everyone, everywhere. For businesses, at egg we believe that there’s a clean energy solution for every type of company – whether that’s a retailer, such as a shopping centre looking to offset its overheads with solar panels, an office looking to improve its ESG commitment, or a leisure company looking at how they can monetise EV charging points whilst their customers park up for an evening at the cinema.

We know that the world of clean energy is unnecessarily confusing at times, and once you sift through the jargon, price vs priority is still a huge barrier to adopting solar and EV.

egg is helping people take the guesswork out of clean energy no matter who they are and what they need. Ultimately we’re making it more accessible in both commercial and residential sectors with on and off Balance sheet options, 0% loans, no nonsense information and real person support from first enquiry to long after installation.

What do you think makes egg unique compared to others in the market?

Since we launched egg, our ambition has been to partner with our customers throughout their entire clean energy journey. From helping people get started, to installation and ongoing support, we’re there every step of the way. That’s why we don’t stop at product installation.

There are over 3,000 solar installation businesses in the UK and once install takes place, they walk away from the customer and no post installation support is provided. This model does no favours in building trust or dispelling the perception that solar is the ‘double glazing of the clean energy sector’. egg is unique as we support customers through their clean power journey, and as this industry evolves, this support means they get bang for their buck from their investment.

In addition, our in-house finance services provide a simpler process for everyone – no complicated third party document signing, less complexity and risk – removing some of the worry that comes with finance agreements.

In a few words where is the opportunity for the green energy sector that isn’t already been capitalised on by the more established businesses?

Firstly, I think we need to address the term ‘green energy’ within the industry, which can sometimes have little to do with actually being ‘green’. What we’re talking about is clean energy – a full ecosystem to help customers use less carbon based energy.

The biggest pain point egg can solve is the continued support, advice and practical ways businesses and consumers can get the most out of solar, storage or electric vehicle charging once they have made the investment. Let’s face it, the barrier to entry in terms of investment and return is paramount, and we aren’t going to get businesses and homeowners to invest in a cleaner future, if we can’t build their confidence by providing end to end support.

Whilst many clean energy companies will focus on the next product to meet demand, at present the demand isn’t there due to uncertainty and overwhelm at what’s on offer. Business leaders need to be setting out a clear road map on how, as the technology develops, adopters right now can evolve their clean energy solutions as well as maximise once it’s in place, so they get the most from their assets. To me that means the intention to develop the ecosystem that will enable customers to optimise from one single platform.

How has egg evolved most recently?

egg started as an EV Charging business, but it was clear the market needed an injection of something different to better serve the clean energy needs of UK businesses and customers – we knew we could offer that. Most clean energy solutions businesses don’t offer both B2B and B2C, but we have excellent understanding of both sectors – essentially the pain point is the same – the cost and the ROI associated with it.

So egg has evolved to put the customer experience as the centre of everything we do – to negate the nervousness around investment, to simplify the complexity and return on investment of clean energy solutions, as well as being the end to end support people need as the market evolves.

This has also given us some real focus on our business priorities – with our B2B business accounting for around 60% of our trading and 30% in our B2C solar and storage. When it comes to EV charging, this now equates to 10% of our trading, with solar and storage being a conscious change in focus.

Ultimately, we don’t want customers to think of us as just a solar panel company, or an EV charging company, but as a complete clean energy solution that can help them maximise the benefits for them and the planet.

What can we hope to see from egg in the future?

As the adoption rate of clean energy solutions picks up pace, we won’t be talking about ourselves as a clean energy company anymore, but instead a tech company. As clean energy becomes more mainstream in the next five to ten years, expectations from consumers and businesses will change.

Those early adopters will be upgrading to bigger and better solutions, whilst those new to the market will be expecting their energy consumption to be centralised along with their other smart tech devices so that they can control their homes, and see they are getting the most out of their investment from one device. egg is investing heavily in research in this area, as part of our commitment to being at the forefront of clean energy adoption and making accessible to more households and businesses across the UK.