Today new technologies are allowing energy retailers to restyle the industry, allowing customers to take control of their electricity usage and combat surging power bills. Here, Paul Loftus, Head of Customer Sales at Powershop, talks about how implementing innovative and disruptive technologies can optimise the customer experience.
Electricity prices have jumped 12.4 per cent in the last two years, according to the the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics Consumer Price Index, six times the rate of the average pay rise. While huge surges are forcing consumers to keep one eye on their power bill, energy retailers can adopt innovative technologies to help customers monitor their power usage.
Ahead of his presentation at Digital Utilities 2018, running from 19-20 April in Melbourne, Paul Loftus, Head of Customer Sales at Powershop, said digital tools can provide transparency for customers to save money, lower usage and ultimately cut their carbon emission footprint.
“Digital technologies are enabling customers to access energy usage data to help them make decisions about their usage and how they engage with their power company,” Mr Loftus said.
Instant feedback on power usage
Mr Loftus said implementing customer facing digital tools, like the Powershop App, allows customers easy access to their energy data, and a better understanding of their usage.
The Powershop App gives customers’ their usage data in 30 minute intervals via readings from their smart meter. The data is currently available from the next day and will soon be available in real time.
“Access to smart meter data enables customers to make informed decisions about their usage, enabling them to shift their usage to different times to maximise savings, or remove/replace old technologies that are inefficient (for example – the ability to see how much energy that old fridge in the garage is guzzling),” Mr Loftus said.
Mr Loftus said Powershop will continue to develop customer facing tools to meet the needs and demands of customers.
“In the future, more and more digital solutions will become available ‘behind the meter’ that will empower customers to not only use less electricity, and in many cases, be paid for this reduction in consumption (demand management).”
He said examples of this include battery storage and peak demand alerts.
Mr Loftus said integrating digital platforms has changed the way customers relate to their energy retailer.
“The choices and flexibility of how and when to purchase electricity have empowered our customers in an industry where they typically felt disengaged.”
Has your utility improved the customer experience by implementing customer-centric digital technologies?
Hear more from Paul Loftus about the benefits of using customer facing digital technologies at Digital Utilities 2018, running from 19-20 April at the Pullman Hotel in Melbourne.
To register, visit www.digitalutilities.com.au.
