WRITTEN BY ENERGYX SOLUTIONS’ WRITER ∙ TORONTO, ONTARIO

Lately, we’ve been hearing a lot of utility executives talking about the importance of disruption and the integration of innovative technologies into DSM programs.

But what exactly does this look like?

We know that when customers get incorrect information about their bills, call centre volume rises. With the rise of smart devices, utilities have a wealth of data to draw on for consumption insights about their customers.

The million dollar question: How can utilities transform this data into an efficient, accurate and better customer experience (CX)?

The answer: Incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into customer-facing applications and programs. AI is taking the utility industry by storm, and here are our three favourite applications for utilities...

1. Automating And Providing More Accurate Customer Information - A customer just got their energy bill and it’s a little higher than usual. When they called into your customer service line, they waited two hours in the queue, while the rep is frustrated because they’ve been dealing with the same situation...over and over again.

This is the lose-lose reality most utility call centres face. For the customer, it’s an awful experience and they lose trust in their energy provider. For the utility, high call centre volume represents a waste of time and money.

Integrating AI and can help utilities automate the following processes:

• Providing accurate billing and payment information

• Reporting outages and service interruptions

• Changing of address or personal details

Rather than talk to a real person, utilities are integrating AI-powered chatbots, virtual assistants and IT help desks to more effectively serve customers, who are increasingly more dependent on digital touch points.

2. Monitoring Customer Care Trends - An automated customer care system sounds great. But what about the customers that still prefer to talk to a real person about their issues?

Be proactive, not reactive. Utilities such as Alabama Power are implementing AI to monitor and transcribe customer care calls and aggregating all the feedback into one dashboard.

As a result, they’re able to identify customer care problems and trends before they become an issue.

Supervisors can see exactly what was said between a rep and a customer, thus creating a more cohesive, productive CX team. It allows the team to get actionable insights and feedback right away, as opposed to waiting on inefficient, outdated surveys.

3. Energy Efficiency Program Engagement - Want to burn through your budget quickly? Market your energy efficiency programs to an unengaged customer base.

Because of the need to avoid energy generation, utilities need adequate participation for these programs. By processing the wealth of data available to them with AI, program managers can effectively target customers who are likely to participate in efficiency programs. In turn, this helps customers work their way towards energy efficiency and lowering their energy bills in the process.

That’s one way of reducing calls to the call centre, right? At EnergyX, our clients include some of the largest utilities across the continent. We’re helping them incorporate AI, data science and machine learning into their systems through our award-winning software, MyEnergyXpert.

Utilities all across North America are recognizing that AI is no longer just a distant buzzword; it is the “now”. Ready-made, AI-powered solutions are now available to deliver long-term ROI for your team.

If you’re ready to make AI a strategic priority for your team, let’s schedule a demo to see how MyEnergyXpert can help you hit your targets!