CXA’s visit to Octopus Energy 16th July 2026

Yesterday we visited Octopus Energy’s operations centre in London, a visit that completely changed our perception of what an energy company can be.

From the moment we arrived, it was clear that employee experience sits at the heart of their customer experience strategy. The contact centre is relaxed, vibrant and thoughtfully designed, with breakout spaces featuring bean bags and yoga mats, private booths for focused work, a dedicated training area complete with a mock house fitted with meters and electrical points, and beautiful communal spaces to eat and collaborate.

The Octopus plushies (of wish we are now proud owners) and even personalised hoodies help create a real sense of belonging.

What impressed us most was their philosophy of empowering their people. Huge screens displayed live Trustpilot reviews alongside maps highlighting their phenomenal global growth, constantly reinforcing the impact their teams have on customers.

Our fantastic guides, Zain and Daisy, both started as customer service agents before progressing to Team Leaders and now Operations Managers. They explained that this is far from unusual. With a deliberately flat management structure, career progression is actively encouraged, giving employees the opportunity to develop and thrive.

Customer experience is clearly at the centre of everything they do. Agents own the customer journey, meaning customers don't have to repeat themselves to multiple people.

Empowerment, trust and accountability are the foundations of their success.

Their commitment extends beyond providing excellent CX to raising standards across the industry rather than simply competing within it and they openly invite competitors into their operation to learn from their approach.

They are also helping to shape the future of sustainable housing through innovative initiatives such as Zero Bills homes, heat pump tech, solar power and smart energy management.  Their vision is to create homes that are comfortable, environmentally friendly and cheaper to run, demonstrating how technology can transform both CX and the UK’s journey to net zero.

A huge thank you to everyone at Octopus Energy for such an inspiring and insightful visit. It was a brilliant reminder that exceptional customer experience starts with investing in people, empowering them to make decisions, and creating a culture where both employees and customers genuinely matter.

We would love to visit your operation. If you are interested, please reach out to tina@thecxalliance.org.