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Latest News & Announcements

More utilities are piloting smart grid-enabled demand response programs, but customer engagement is crucial to success

Chartwell Inc. - While demand response programs are growing in the industry, more utilities are beginning to launch full-scale dynamic pricing plans to a broader base of residential customers, according to industry data featured in Chartwell's latest report, Demand Response and Rate Programs for Residential Customers 2012. more...

FirstEnergy Deploys iFactor's Storm Center for Web and Mobile Outage Communications

iFactor Consulting, Inc. - FirstEnergy Corp. has deployed a new outage map across its utility company service territory, providing access to real-time power outage information to the general public. more...

Colorado Springs Utilities implements iFactor's Storm Center website map and mobile apps

iFactor Consulting, Inc. - Colorado Springs Utilities now offers their customers near real-time electric outage information with iFactor Consulting's Storm Center product and mobile applications. more...

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Utility contact centers making strides in improving metrics, new Chartwell report details

Chartwell Inc. - Across North America, many utilities are finding success through efforts to enhance the customer contact experience by improving key performance metrics, Chartwell's latest report Contact Center Metrics 2012, reveals. more...

Energy audits are commonplace in the industry, but design and promotion can be key to participation

Chartwell Inc. - While the vast majority of utilities offer some form of energy audit, customer participation rates across North America remain relatively unchanged in recent years, according to Chartwell industry data featured in its new report, Energy Audits and Upgrades 2012. more...

E Source Launches Customer Experience Suite for Utilities

Itron Supplies Smart Payment Solution to Electricidade e Agua da Guinee Bissau

Crimson Oak Consulting Joins Itineris to Offer Expanded Strategies, Solutions & Services

More utilities offering IVR technology as a self-service function, according to new Chartwell report

E.ON IT Embraces Convergys Smart Revenue Solutions across its Group

Satisfaction is on the rise, while customer experience initiatives reveal increased value, Chartwell reports

iFactor Consulting helps We Energies customers report streetlight outages

Oracle Utilities Meter-to-Cash Applications Running on Oracle Exadata Database Machine and Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud Demonstrate Unprecedented Throughput for 10 Million Interval Meters

Oracle Announces Oracle Utilities Mobile Workforce Management 2.1 and Oracle Utilities Mobile Workforce Analytics

Customers expect and need increasingly knowledgeable CSRs, recent Chartwell report shows

BillingTree Enlists IP Commerce to Expedite Merchant Boarding Services

LIPA implements iFactor Consulting's Notifi product for outage communications

SAIC Discusses Current Smart Grid Issues

iFactor Consulting provides online streetlight outage reporting tool for Pepco Holdings, Inc.

New Report from Aite Group Shows BillingTree as Key Player in Expanding Non-Cash-Payments Market

E Source Video Highlights What People Know (or Don't Know) About Energy

KEMA partners with NorthWestern Energy for Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project

E Source Launches Utility Website Design Center

Walmart Becomes Authorized Payment Location for Leading California Utilities Through CheckFreePay From Fiserv

Oracle Unveils Oracle Public Cloud

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ENERGY BLOGS

The Truth About The TXU Free Nights Plan

By Holbert Janson - TXU's latest electricity rate plan (marketing gimmick) is designed to grab consumer’s attention. But for most people, it’s not likely more...

Customer and Utility Perspectives Part 3: Energy Efficiency Program Sign-Ups

By Sam Zastrow - Are your energy efficiency programs meeting goals and expectations? In the design, implementation and management of energy efficiency programs more...

Energy Rebates Can Save Big Bread

By Mike Smith - by Mike Smith, Energy Central and Huffington Post blog columnist Washington, DC -- OK, when was the last time more...

Break Through in IT and Control Systems can lead to Plug and Play Smart Grid Systems

By Alok Misra - Recent Advances in ITand Control Systems can very early lead to Plug and Play Smart Grid systems. However the lacking more...

Customer and Utility Perspectives Part 2: Customer Survey Strategy

By Sam Zastrow - Are your energy efficiency programs meeting goals and expectations? In the design, implementation and management of energy efficiency programs more...

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Webcasts

Customer Analytics Issues, Trends, & Drivers

Wednesday May 30, 2012 - 12:00 PM Eastern - Virtual Event

Learn how utilities are realizing the full potential from new customer data in this free Executive Insights webcast, which will include lessons from utilities in the field, as well as an overview of results from the Utility Analytics Institute's Annual more...

Consumer Engagement & the Role of Mobile Apps

Thursday Jun 7, 2012 - 11:00 PM Eastern - Virtual Event

The new consumer is a mobile consumer: always "on", 24/7. They prefer texting over e-mail, and e-mail over a phone call or face-to-face communication. more...

Smart Grid Analytics: All That Remains to be Ready is You

Tuesday Jun 12, 2012 - 1:00 PM Eastern - Virtual Event

Join us for a live smart grid analytics discussing real life case studies for how analytics can change the speed of business today, allowing users to unleash their creativity and focus on what matters: data-driven insights that benefit the business. more...

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Articles

Self-Service Strategy for Utilities -- A Step by Step Approach

By Tripati Subudhi
Today, digital consumerism in on the rise through the rapidly evolving technology medium 'Internet' where customers prefer to get serviced at door step irrespective of the location with minimum effort, cost and time. Utility industry more...
Filed Under Billing & Customer Care

12 Bottom Line Improvement Ideas for 2012 for your Billing And Payment Channels

By Scott McCollum

Sott McCollum, President of BillingTree, one of the nation's leading on-demand payment processors, outlines 12 ideas that can help organizations improve their bottom line in 2012. more...
Filed Under Billing & Customer Care

Smart Grid - Only Innovation and Competition Will Bring Consumer Engagement

By Joao Gomes

The only way to bring innovation, new ideas and intelligence for the Energy Sector is to accelerate competition. No other initiative will be successful, if we do not take the competition and the option of more...
Filed Under Billing & Customer Care

Better Together: Unifying Gas, Water and Electricity Management Systems

By Matthew Burkmier
When gas, water and electricity usage can be monitored, measured and managed collectively in one cohesive framework, utilities can improve conservation, help their customers save money, reduce administrative costs and better prepare for increased demand more...
Filed Under Billing & Customer Care