As the demand for resources continues to grow, so does the need for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to conservation and demand management. This is especially true for utility companies.
Many utility companies are already taking steps to meet long-term conservation and demand management goals, but there is always room for improvement. There are always new ideas and technologies emerging that can help further reduce resource consumption.
If you haven’t already, one major step you can take toward conserving energy and managing demand is getting your customers to work towards the same goal.
Here are three customer-centric tools utility companies can use to improve their conservation and demand management:
1 – Give Customers Access to Data
In order to effectively manage demand, businesses need to have a clear understanding of usage patterns. That’s why many businesses are now turning to smart meters and other data-tracking technologies to gain insights into their customers’ resource consumption.
But don’t stop there. Giving customers access to insightful data, analytics and reports will allow them to control their own consumption information. This data will empower your customers to reduce their usage, especially during peak hours, and can be one of the most powerful strategies when it comes to conservation and demand management.
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2 – Make use of Notifications and Alerts
Once you have data on hand, you can start to set thresholds and send notifications or alerts when consumption hits certain levels. This will help to ensure that customers are more aware of their consumption patterns, so your utility can encourage them to take steps to change their behaviour.
3 – Offer Information on Incentives
One of the best ways to encourage customers to reduce their resource consumption is to offer them financial incentives. This could come in the form of discounts, rebates, or even just simply giving them access to cheaper rates during off-peak hours.
But incentivization doesn’t only have to come from your business. Many governments now offer incentives and rewards to residents who reduce their consumption. This includes financial incentives, rebates, and promotions on a municipal, provincial or federal level.
Making sure that your customers are aware of these programs will help with your conservation and demand management programs. To go the extra mile, provide self-serve resources with information and direction on how to apply for the incentives.
By taking these steps, you will be putting your utility company in a better position to meet conservation and demand management goals.
How a Utility Customer Portal can Help
A utility customer portal is a powerful platform that enables utility companies to provide their customers with the data, analytics, and tools they need to make more informed decisions about their resource consumption.
A customer portal can help with everything from customer engagement and support to data-driven marketing and analytics. It can also help you with your conservation and demand management programs by giving customers the ability to track their usage, set thresholds and receive alerts, and access information on incentives and rebates.
If you want to learn more about empowering customers to conserve energy or how a customer portal can help, contact us today.
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