Turning a city into a living lab: the woman helping shape the green cities of tomorrow

Zara Cuming is quick to describe herself as a "tech nerd". But in truth, that label doesn't quite do justice to the scale or ambition of her role.

As E.ON’s City Energy Transformation Innovation Lead, Zara’s work sits at the intersection of technology, community and creativity. Her remit is vast, from designing new energy solutions with startups, to collaborating with local government and helping households to unlock more affordable, low-carbon ways to power their lives.

Based in Coventry, she’s spent the last 18 months turning the city into a testbed for energy innovation, working hand-in-hand with the city council as part of a pioneering 15-year strategic energy partnership.

“We’re trying to reimagine what a green city looks like,” says Zara. “What happens when you turn a whole city into a living lab and test bold, scalable ideas that could shape the future of energy across the UK?”

That ambition is already taking shape. Zara is leading on a pipeline of pilot schemes and propositions designed to tackle real challenges, particularly around energy affordability for households and small businesses.

“There’s a huge segment of society that doesn’t qualify for traditional funding schemes but still struggles with affordability. We’re trying to bridge that gap, because affordability is the key to unlocking the energy transition.”

One example of this is Kestrix: a joint project with the city council and a tech startup that uses drones, data and AI to scan whole communities and identify the homes most in need of energy upgrades, so support can be delivered faster and more effectively.

She’s also exploring new bundled solution propositions – flexible, affordable energy offers – similar to subscription models  - that make it easier for households and small businesses to adopt low-carbon technologies without large upfront costs.

“We’re actively testing what works,” says Zara. “The interest we’re seeing already shows there’s a real appetite for more accessible energy solutions – especially among community organisations and smaller businesses.”

Zara sees Coventry’s unique makeup as a major asset to this work.

“Coventry is a city of SMEs – 96% of businesses here are small to medium-sized,” she explains. “That makes it the perfect place to pilot decarbonisation systems. These are the kinds of customers who can really benefit from more flexible, innovative energy models.”

But it’s not just about the tech. For Zara, the challenge is as much about pace and practicality as it is about innovation.

“We talk a lot about the energy transition, but the truth is it’s not happening fast enough. Affordability is the key. We can’t expect people to buy into a greener future if the cost feels out of reach.”

It’s a topic she returns to often. In her view, unlocking funding, reducing green energy bills, and ensuring no one is left behind are the real keys to delivering a just and lasting transition. Especially in cities like Coventry, which not only face pressing decarbonisation targets, but complex social and economic challenges too.

And yet, despite the scale of the task, Zara says it’s the best job she’s ever had.

“It’s tough. You have to be resilient and adaptable – working with ever-changing regulations, evolving stakeholder groups, last-minute funding changes. But I genuinely love it. It’s forcing me to grow and learn every single day.

It helps that Zara’s spent more than 18 years at E.ON, shifting roles every few years, building a rare mix of operational and strategic experience. But this one, she says, feels different.

“It’s a brand-new role, and it’ll take a few years to fully bed in. But I can’t see myself going anywhere soon. We’re laying the foundations for something that could transform how we think about energy in cities – and I want to see that through.” 

So what does the future look like? For Zara, blue-sky thinking is part of the job description. She dreams of launching a dedicated innovation lab in Coventry – a place to explore cutting-edge tech like green hydrogen, train people in essential green skills, and support local development of sustainable solutions.

“The dream is to build something that doesn’t just test innovation, but drives it. Something that creates local jobs, skills and solutions we can scale across the country.”

Her own journey hasn’t been without its challenges. As someone with dyslexia, Zara says the support from E.ON – from extra tools to inclusive networks – has been key to her success. And that inclusive culture is something she believes must remain front and centre as the industry evolves.

“You can’t create future-facing solutions with narrow perspectives. The more diverse the team, the better the ideas. That’s true innovation.”

Ultimately, Zara’s not just helping to deliver greener outcomes, she’s rethinking the systems and structures that will make them possible. And in Coventry, she’s proving that transformation doesn’t have to start big – it just has to start somewhere.

“The work we’re doing here is a blueprint,” she says. “If we can get it right in Coventry, we can apply it to cities right across the UK. That’s what excites me – the scale of what’s possible.”