Data security is vital for small, medium and large businesses, and utility providers are no different. Protecting your customer data is not only important for customer satisfaction metrics, it's also required by Canadian law. 

Cybercrime can also have a huge impact on your utility's bottom line. Research from Cybersecurity Ventures found cybercrime will cost the world in excess of $6 trillion each year by 2021, up from $3 trillion in 2015. Meanwhile, data published on Wikipedia estimates the average cost of one single data breach will be over $150 million by 2020.

Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the products they consume. Whether it’s eating meat, reducing single-use plastic or cutting down on their monthly utilities, people all over the world are proactively working to lower their impact on the earth.

A study from Futerra, which surveyed over 1,000 consumers in the US and UK, discovered that 96 per cent of people feel that their own actions - such as donating, recycling or buying ethically - can make a difference.

At first glance, water seems like one of Earth’s most renewable resources. It falls from the sky when it rains, it surrounds us in oceans, it’s inside glaciers and icebergs and it covers a staggering 70 per cent of the world’s surface.

However, there’s a problem. Around 97.5 per cent of seawater is unfit for human consumption, and with populations and temperatures rising around the world the freshwater reserves that we do have are under severe pressure.

Now more than ever, consumers are demanding the ability to interact with all types of service providers - from electric, water and sewer, natural gas, and telecom to multi-service utilities - on their own terms.

With the rise in mobile technology, web self-service options that can be accessed from anywhere and any device are quickly becoming a necessity for utility providers hoping to improve their customer experience (CX).

At the same time, utility providers face pressure to do more with less in an effort to save money and improve margins.

SilverBlaze is excited to announce it will be attending the Harris Customer Training Conference 2019 (HCTC2019) in Denver, Colorado on October 9-11.

The three-day event, which will take place at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center, is an intensive learning opportunity for your company to increase technical know-how, leverage best practices from industry peers, and influence your chosen products and solution offerings.

Landlords and vacation rental owners are abundant in North America, and the necessity for these multi-homeowners to digitally connect with their electric, water and sewer, gas and multi-service utility providers is only growing.

In fact, it’s not just multi-homeowners either. A recent article from Toronto Life found a large number of Torontonians are giving up the “soul-crushing” search for an affordable home in the city and, instead, buying cottages further north that they can rent out when they aren’t there.

Paperless billing allows utilities to offer a convenient way for customers to receive their bills and make payments on time.

For providers, choosing to embrace paperless billing through a self-service web portal, such as the innovative SilverBlaze Customer Portal for Utilities, is an excellent opportunity to save money, increase profit margins and invest back into your employees and equipment. This will increase customer engagement and satisfaction across the board.

More, and more, utilities - whether in the electric, water, gas, telecom or multi-service utility sector - are faced with consumer choice, to choose between energy sources, alternative energy providers, or competitive networks. This means utility providers increasingly have reason to invest in customer engagement tools and the back-office staff to support it.

Utility providers are in a constant battle to improve their customer experience (CX), enhance customer satisfaction, all while reducing costs, limiting wasted time and improving operational efficiencies. Thankfully, smart metering can help.

But what actually is smart metering, what are the benefits and how can your utility successfully implement a smart utility metering solution. SilverBlaze answers all those questions here.

SilverBlaze Solutions, the award-winning software development and consulting firm for the utility sector, is pleased to announce the opening of its brand-new offices in celebration of the company’s 20th anniversary.

The larger and more innovative office will set SilverBlaze up for further expansion, allowing the company to continue improving and enhancing its world-class Customer Portal for Utilities offering.