Public Power - November/December 2007 - (Page 60)

CUSTOMER SERVICE Large Customers Shun Online Services By Jim Paterson most business functions move online, key account managers are increasingly investigating ways to offer their biggest and best customers new services over the Internet. But despite their interest in providing top-flight services for key accounts, many public power utilities are patient in implementing new online programs, making certain they are really useful to these more sophisticated customers—and workable for the utility. “I suspect we won’t do much in the way of Web-based services until a significant group of customers asks for them,” said Steve Wilson, energy services coordinator for Ames Electric Services in Iowa. Wilson, like several other key account managers, said the utility has explored many online services and used some, but demand has not been high, nor the need great, and city tech staff has its hands full with other key transitional issues. Sometimes utilities find such services are less practical and useful than they appear. Robert Bergdoll, customer operations director at Gainesville Regional Utilities in Florida, said consumption data are offered online, but demand-response, sophisticated metering or other high end Web-based services are not frequently undertaken. “Most municipal utility Web sites are still quite new and don’t offer those kinds of things,” he said. Kim Weaver, energy services 60 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2007 As manager in Rocky Mount, N.C., said she often wants to provide services personally to these customers. “Services such as consumption data and opportunities for special rates we like to handle on a personal level,” she said. “We like to meet with a customer and actually show them rate comparisons with their own data to make the information real for them.” Billing and consumption data and bill analysis, automated metering, special rate information, demand-response, and auditing or “energy targeting” services—which offer specific conservation options for a particular type of building—are some offerings that could be presented online, said Joel Gilbert, the chief software architect for Apogee Interactive. Broader and practical information—including material in e-newsletters from companies such as Questline and online advice or classes for key accounts or Webcasts— are other features managers are considering. Utilities are more often offering outage reporting and information online through their Web sites or through e-mail. Apogee offers utilities a variety of online services for their customers, including sophisticated auditing tools, applications that track building performance over time and help managers discover energy issues, and detailed conservation information tailored to certain business types, building types or technologies. Consumption data have been offered by public power utilities for years and providing it online is easy, said Erick Rheam, key accounts manager for Loveland Water and Power in Colorado. His utility offers its larger customers automated load profiling through Automated Energy, one of the leading vendors for this service. The company offers online data on rates, consumption and loads–even weather information that a key account might find useful. Loveland also uses the company’s sub-metering service, which allows a customer with rentals to break up a bill by meter to see each renter’s specific load information and bill customers accordingly. Loveland also offers customers an interactive business solutions center, which is provided through Questline, Rheam said. CPS Energy in San Antonio recently purchased a customer service package from Itron, according to Bruce Evans, director of strategic energy management. The package features on-demand load data, various analyses of the data, and online billing for larger customers Commercial and industrial customers are increasingly aware of the potential for wise energy management to improve their bottom line, said Itron. Gilbert agreed that many online services have not proven useful to public power utilities for their key accounts. Consumption data need to offer specific information, he said and make recommendations or otherwise isn’t used by key accounts. “It is no longer of much interest alone. Customers want insights— what they should do at an particular time of day,” he said. Demand-response for large clients has been declining and interval metering has been available for some time to key accounts, he said. Only meter communications systems have changed. “In open, competitive markets, the lack of a forward capacity value signal has killed many response programs for these large customers,” Gilbert said. The market may change and improve prospects for demand-response, he said. Large customers are asked about their carbon footprints, and services to address that are increasingly available online, allowing customers to enter data to determine the greenhouse gas emissions they are creating. ❚ Jim Paterson is a writer in Olney, Md. PUBLIC POWER

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Public Power - November/December 2007

Public Power - November/December 2007 Contents Washington Focus 10 Questions Connecting with the Customer Through Automation AMR or AMI? The High Court’s Antitrust Thunderbolts California’s Push for Demand-Response Plug-In Partners Get Plugged In Wiring Up for Double-Digit Growth For Engineers Safety Community Broadband For Governing Boards DEED Customer Service Hometown Connections Index to Advertisers Parting shot

Public Power - November/December 2007

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