Energy pricing software doesn't have to be a transformation project

In most industries, business software is bought as a subscription. You sign up, connect it to your systems and start using it. Energy is different. Pricing and billing software for retailers is still usually sold as a large licence, followed by an implementation that runs for months and needs a systems integrator to deliver it.

Factor works the other way. It is a SaaS pricing engine with three subscription tiers, and most teams are pricing live within a matter of weeks.

Why energy software became a project business

Energy pricing is complex, and for a long time the only way to handle that complexity was to build it. Every retailer's tariffs, hedges and network charges were modelled as custom code or custom configuration, delivered as a project.

That model has real costs:

• Time. Months pass before the team prices a single deal differently, while the market keeps moving.
• Upfront cost and risk. Licence fees and integrator costs are committed before anyone knows whether the system fits.
• Change becomes another project. A new product line, such as EV tariffs or batteries, means a new statement of work.
• Hidden total cost. Teams built in-house end up maintaining software instead of pricing energy.

It also shuts out the growth-stage retailers and gentailers who need serious pricing infrastructure but can't commit to an enterprise procurement cycle.

What a real SaaS model looks like

Factor was built as a product, not a services engagement. The energy-specific complexity lives inside the engine, so each customer configures it rather than commissioning a build.

• Three subscription tiers. Starter covers a single use case. The middle tier adds complexity and customer numbers. Enterprise adds full user management, security and support. Pricing scales with transaction volume and customer count, so finance can model the cost before you commit. It’s not just for small players, Factor is used by enterprise retailers in the UK right now. 
• Live in weeks, not months. Most teams are pricing live within two to four weeks. No transformation programme and no systems integrator.
• Start small, then expand. Begin with one use case, prove it works, and add EV, battery, VPP, embedded network, PPA or bespoke pricing when you're ready. A new use case is switched on, not built.
• Plug and play integration. Factor is API-first and connects to CRMs, billing systems and data platforms, including a managed package for Salesforce Energy & Utilities Cloud.
• Full service support. A subscription doesn't mean you're on your own. The Factor team supports setup, configuration and ongoing use.
• The product keeps improving. New capability is added to the engine for every customer, rather than delivered as a separate project for each one.

Proven at scale

Factor is a forecasting-led pricing engine for energy retailers, gentailers and C&I energy businesses. It prices live contracts for customers in two markets, Australia and the UK, and is part of Gentrack. A full forecast-to-price run takes under 10 seconds, and every price traces back to the forecasts and rules behind it.

The SaaS model doesn't mean a lighter product. It means the hard parts of energy pricing are already built, so your team spends its time pricing deals rather than building the system to price them.

FAQ

Is Factor SaaS? Yes. Factor is a subscription pricing engine with three tiers, priced by transaction volume and customer count. Most teams are live within two to four weeks.

Why is SaaS unusual in energy pricing software? Energy pricing has traditionally been handled with custom builds or enterprise platforms delivered as long implementation projects, often with a systems integrator. Factor builds the energy-specific complexity into the product instead.

Do I need a systems integrator to implement Factor? No. Factor connects through its API and the Factor team supports setup directly. If you want to use Salesforce, or another partner we have integrations in place to support this. 

Can I start with one use case? Yes. The Starter tier covers a single use case, and you can add others as you grow.

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