Elizabeth’s connection to RECCo goes back to its earliest days. She led the transition from the previous market arrangements, the establishment of the REC Services and the implementation of the new code manager arrangements needed to bring the Retail Energy Code to life. As a member of the Executive team, she has overseen RECCo’s growth from a start-up into a trusted, established delivery organisation at the heart of the retail energy market.
On 14 August, Elizabeth will succeed Sid Cox as Chief Executive Officer, following his retirement after more than five years leading RECCo. As she prepares to take on the role, Elizabeth reflects on the journey so far and the foundations Sid leaves behind. For Elizabeth, the appointment is both “a privilege and a significant responsibility.”
“RECCo plays a key role in enabling the retail energy market, and I am proud to have the opportunity to lead the organisation and the talented team behind it.”
The appointment comes at an important point for RECCo. As we approach five years of live operation, many of the original REC Service contracts are coming to the end of their initial terms. Meanwhile, the role of the Data Communications Company (DCC) is evolving, and new opportunities are emerging through the Electricity Commercial Code (ECC), digitalisation, data and flexibility. Our task is to build on what has been achieved while preparing for what comes next.
Building on strong foundations
For REC Parties and stakeholders, Elizabeth’s message is one of evolution rather than revolution. RECCo has an experienced and resilient Executive team, supported by colleagues with considerable knowledge and capability. Elizabeth wants to build on those strengths:
“I have complete confidence in the RECCo team,” she says. “Their collective desire to deliver quality services to industry and their commitment to driving innovation and change represent everything we stand for.”
Confidence in the team – and a commitment to listen
Elizabeth has more than 25 years of experience working across code management and the energy market. However, she is clear that experience alone does not provide all the answers, particularly in a market undergoing significant change.
Her immediate priority will be to listen: to RECCo’s people, REC Parties, service providers, Ofgem, consumer representatives, innovators and colleagues across the other codes.
“My commitment is to listen, to keep stakeholders’ understanding at the forefront of our decisions and to help drive the change the market needs. I want to spend more time across the industry, understand what is working well, where stakeholders experience unnecessary complexity, and where RECCo can make the greatest difference.”
Defining what good looks like
For Elizabeth, success starts with delivering high-quality services, a strength reinforced by RECCo’s role as the licensed REC Code Manager. That, she believes, requires RECCo to keep questioning itself.
“We should keep asking what good looks like and, in particular, how we can ensure that industry governance facilitates market innovation rather than simply trying to keep up with it. Are we making timely decisions? Are we making things easier for participants? Are we focusing on the outcomes that matter? We should never assume that because something has always been done in a particular way, it’s the best way to do it.”
That approach will be important as RECCo takes on new challenges. We’re participating in Ofgem’s Electricity Commercial Code (ECC) Code Manager licensing assessment phase. If appointed, we will need to successfully implement the new arrangements while retaining the expertise and relationships built under the existing codes. With her previous experience of establishing and operating the DCUSA arrangements and delivering retail code consolidation, Elizabeth is confident that this is another role that RECCo will excel at.
Our work on data, digitalisation and flexibility is also growing in importance, including the Consumer Consent solution and our new role as Consumer Data Domain Coordinator. Together, these priorities allow us to develop innovative, trusted services that make the market simpler to navigate, reduce unnecessary complexity for participants, and support greater choice, control and better outcomes for consumers.
These priorities are connected by a common purpose: making market arrangements easier to navigate, better coordinated and capable of adapting as the energy system changes. Cross-code collaboration is critical to this. Market participants experience the energy system as a whole, not as a series of separate governance arrangements. Elizabeth is clear in her intent to strengthen working relationships with the other Code Managers and central bodies as we seek to align approaches, share expertise and remove unnecessary duplication.
“Our first responsibility is to deliver our existing role to the best of our ability. But we must also look ahead. The market should expect RECCo to anticipate change, bring clarity to complex issues and use our position to help create more joined-up arrangements.”
Enabling change, not catching up with it
As market reform accelerates, code bodies need to look ahead. Elizabeth believes code managers have an important role in bringing clarity to complex issues and helping the industry navigate change. In her view, good governance should provide confidence without becoming an obstacle to progress. That means being clear about the outcomes and protections the market needs, while avoiding detailed rules that constrain new ideas before they have had the opportunity to develop.
“Our governance should enable innovation while protecting the integrity of the market. It should focus on the outcomes that need to be achieved without prescribing a particular technical or commercial solution too early. Being solution-agnostic does not mean being passive. It means creating clear and proportionate arrangements in which good ideas can be developed, assessed and implemented.”
Our Market Design team and Design Authority support this by maintaining an end-to-end view, listening to industry and testing the practical implications of change. This can simplify participants’ experience while maintaining confidence in the market.
Keeping consumers at the heart of RECCo’s work
Most consumers will never see the codes or central services that support the retail energy market. They will, however, experience the consequences when those arrangements do not work as they should.
For Elizabeth, acting in consumers’ interests means being able to connect RECCo’s work to practical outcomes. Does it make switching more reliable? Does it improve access to accurate information? Does it strengthen protections or give consumers greater choice and control?
Consumers may not see the work that sits behind their energy supply, but they experience the results. Our responsibility is to make sure the systems and rules underpinning the retail market are reliable, efficient and able to evolve in ways that support better outcomes.”
As she prepares to lead RECCo, Elizabeth is clear that its strong foundations are a starting point, not the end of the journey.
“RECCo has strong foundations, a talented team and a clear sense of purpose. I want to thank Sid for his leadership, commitment and support in building that. My focus now is to make the most of what we have created: to deliver well, listen carefully and make sure RECCo is ready to help lead the changes ahead. Ultimately, our success will be measured by whether the market works better for participants and consumers.”
As RECCo enters its next phase, Elizabeth’s approach is clear: build on strong foundations, listen carefully and remain focused on outcomes. By delivering today while anticipating tomorrow, she wants RECCo to help create a retail energy market that is easier to navigate, better connected and better able to serve participants and consumers.
Get in touch
If you have any questions on this article or would like to arrange a meeting with Elizabeth, please contact communications@retailenergycode.co.uk
