AGL Energy, an Australian energy provider has teamed up with Microsoft to deploy a new innovative cloud-based data platform in order to comply with the Consumer Data Right (CDR) legislation of the country.

This move will give consumers the power to access their own data and open up new ways for AGL to give personalised customer service.

In August 2019 the CDR was passed by the Australian Government to give consumers more control over their data by allowing them to choose who they want to share it with and how it should be used.

Under the rules, consumer data can only be transferred securely between accredited industry providers (such as energy providers) and accredited third parties (such as comparison websites) using an automated data technology system that is strictly regulated by the Australian Government.

The Consumer Data Right (CDR) was launched in the banking sector in July 2020, and extended to include the energy sector as well. AGL was one of three energy companies that had to have a CDR-compliant platform operational by the 15th of November 2022, allowing customers to share their data with accredited third parties upon request.

After carrying out thorough market analysis, AGL determined to develop its own Customer Data Right system utilizing the Microsoft Cloud.

AGL also worked together with multiple Microsoft partners, federal authorities, and external software-as-a-service suppliers.

Hugh Fahy, Chief Technology Officer at AGL says as custodians of our customers’ personal information, it’s critical that we had a platform in place to facilitate a secure exchange of their data on the CDR marketplace.

“Our partnership with Microsoft, in collaboration with other external partners, and our team’s extensive experience using the Microsoft Cloud enabled AGL to build a flexible, cost-efficient and compliant CDR platform in just 12 months and within the regulatory timeframe.” said Fahy

The design of AGL’s solution allows the energy provider to scale to accommodate anticipated growth in the number of consumers wanting to share their energy data and compare deals in the CDR ecosystem.

The solution may also enable AGL to unlock potential growth opportunities if it decides to become an accredited data recipient (ADR).

These opportunities include recruiting more customers to participate in AGL’s Virtual Power Plant scheme and offering customers personalised and innovative services, such as:

• Machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities for bill forecasting, bill management and bill smoothing;
• Data integrations with open banking, which is the financial sector’s application of the CDR; and
• Recommendations on more efficient energy usage.

Jo Dooley, Enterprise Lead at Microsoft Australia and New Zealand, said: “We’re proud to have supported AGL’s data transformation project with a secure, scalable and compliant solution in the cloud.

“Microsoft is committed to helping other organisations understand their CDR responsibilities and bring their own innovative solutions to life.” he said.