The energy transition is reshaping Europe’s energy landscape. This transformation is driven by innovation, the electrification of energy use, and the search for more sustainable models. Octopus Energy is at the forefront of this transformation, developing an approach that combines renewable energy, technology, and new electrification solutions.

Since acquiring Plüm Énergie in 2022, the British group has become France’s fourth-largest energy supplier, providing service to over 750,000 meters. Octopus Energy is based in the Paris Region, where 200 of its 500 French employees are employed. The company draws on the region’s ecosystem to support its growth, roll out its innovations and help drive the energy transition on a large scale.

In this exclusive interview, Céline Stein, CEO of Octopus Energy France, discusses the group’s growth in France, the strategic role of the Paris Region in the company’s development, and what makes this region a key hub for energy innovation.

Could you tell us about yourself, about Octopus Energy, and your role within the organization?

Octopus Energy was founded in London in 2016. It is a pioneer in the energy transition, and aims to make renewable energy affordable for everyone. In addition to supplying energy in eight countries, the group generates energy through its subsidiary, OE Gen, and installs electrification solutions. It is currently the UK’s largest electricity and gas supplier and the fourth largest energy supplier in France, with over 750,000 meters supplied in the country. Céline Stein is the CEO of Octopus Energy France.

Octopus Energy gained a strong foothold in France by acquiring Plüm Énergie in 2022, which was followed by a period of rapid growth. Could you tell us more about this journey and what sets you apart in the French market?

We entered the French market in January 2022 when we acquired Plüm Énergie, a startup that shared our commitment to innovation and providing customers with the best possible experience. Through this acquisition, Plüm Énergie was able to maintain its autonomy and retain its existing teams while gaining access to the group's financial resources. This was the starting point of our accelerated growth in France. Our approach is unique in that we combine a 100% renewable, French energy offering, through our Ademe-certified VertVolt label, with a constant drive for innovation. This allows us to develop solutions that protect consumers’ purchasing power while challenging the traditional practices of established energy providers.

You have supplied electricity to the City of Paris since 2017. What does this type of public-sector partnership mean for your company’s growth, and what other projects are you working on in the Paris Region?

We have been the City of Paris’s electricity supplier for a long time, and we just won the latest contract to supply the city’s buildings, facilities, and public lighting with electricity for 2026–2027. We will be the sole supplier across all three market segments, including the segment with the most stringent environmental requirements. This contract represents an annual consumption of 380 GWh, equivalent to the consumption of 75,000 households, covering 10,500 supply points, including 180 children’s facilities and approximately 60 public sports facilities. The contract also covers iconic sites such as Paris City Hall, the Zadkine and Carnavalet museums and the Museum of Modern Art, around 50 Parisian fountains, and several of the capital’s bridges. This type of public-sector partnership is a vital vote of confidence for us. It validates our ability to operate on a large scale while meeting the most demanding environmental standards.

Your headquarters have been based in Paris since you first established a presence in France. What makes the Paris Region strategically important as you enter the next phase of your growth? How does this choice align with the group’s international ambitions?

Since the integration of the teams at Plüm Énergie, Paris and the Paris Region have been the nerve center of our French operations. We manage all our operations across France from this region. The Paris Region's business ecosystem, concentration of decision-makers and business networks, and international connectivity make it a natural base for pursuing our ambitions, not only in France, but also as we expand more broadly across Europe.

In addition to energy supply, Octopus Energy is developing innovative solutions such as residential batteries and “Zero Bills” homes. How do these innovations tie in with your presence in the Paris Region?

Innovation is our top priority, and the Paris Region is the perfect testing ground for putting it into practice. Our Zero Bills program uses a combination of solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and smart energy management to ensure that households have zero electricity bills for at least five years. The first example of this program on French soil was developed in Bessancourt, in the Val-d’Oise department, at the heart of the region. This demonstrates that the Paris Region is not only where we manage our operations, but also where we test and implement the innovations that will shape the future of energy. Our goal is to have 100,000 Zero Bills homes worldwide by 2030. We are also pursuing a €1 billion investment plan in renewable energy in France, as well as a €150 million investment to build our own heat pump manufacturing plant.

The French energy market is often considered complex and highly regulated by international firms. What advice would you give to other foreign companies considering establishing a presence in France?

Regulation is not a barrier; it guarantees stability. Our own experience in France shows that international companies can achieve exceptional growth here. France has a highly developed industrial infrastructure and service-sector ecosystem, which makes it possible to recruit highly skilled talent and scale up operations very quickly. Companies can also benefit from robust public-sector business networks. Therefore, my advice would be to view French regulation as a framework that provides confidence and stability, rather than as an obstacle.

In what ways have Choose Paris Region and the public authorities contributed to your establishment and growth?

We work closely with the French public authorities and participate in several government initiatives. Since the beginning of the year, we have been part of the Équipe de France de l’Électrification, through which we participate in government calls for projects. At the regional level, public investment and business attraction agencies have provided valuable support in choosing our location and putting us in direct contact with local employment stakeholders. This has helped us establish a strong presence in the region.

As a British company that now employs 500 people in France, including 200 in the Paris Region, how do you view the region’s ecosystem and talent pool for a company in the energy and technology sector?

For a company like ours, operating at the intersection of energy and technology, Paris Region’s ecosystem is a major asset. Thanks to its deep and diverse talent pool, which spans data and engineering to customer experience, sales, and renewable energy project development, we have been able to quickly build high-performing teams and scale up without compromising quality. It is an ecosystem that combines a strong understanding of the technical challenges of the energy transition with the needs of a fast-growing tech company.

What are your recruitment plans in the Paris Region over the coming months, and which profiles are you looking for as a priority?

We are continuing to recruit in the Paris Region to support our growth trajectory towards reaching one million customers in France. Our primary focus is on tech and data professionals, customer service experts, energy trading specialists, and professionals in renewable energy project development and electrification engineering. The depth of the Paris Region talent pool provides us with direct access to the skilled candidates we need to sustain this pace of growth.

Octopus Energy is targeting one million customers and revenue of more than €1 billion by 2027. What role will the Paris Region play in this next phase of growth?

We have several key objectives:

• Commercial growth: reach one million customers in France by 2027.
• Major investment in renewable energy: the group has finalized its initial €1 billion investment plan for renewable energy in France.
• Reindustrialization, particularly in heat pumps: Octopus Energy recently announced a major €150 million investment to build its own heat pump manufacturing plant in France. The company also aims to deploy 10,000 heat pumps across the country by the end of the year as part of the government’s call for projects on heat pump leasing.
• Innovation: roll out the “zero electricity bill homes” initiative on a large scale, returning €100 million in purchasing power to French households by 2030 through energy flexibility.

If you could send a message to international energy or tech companies considering establishing a presence in the Paris Region, what would it be?

I would tell them that the Paris Region offers a rare combination of direct access to highly skilled talent, international connectivity that enables seamless coordination with the rest of Europe, and a business and institutional ecosystem that provides real support for foreign companies looking to grow. Our journey from acquiring Plüm Énergie to becoming France’s fourth-largest energy supplier proves that it's possible to quickly establish a strong and lasting presence in the region.