Utility companies face increasing pressure to lower rates and help customers cut consumption as more and more households and businesses struggle to pay their bills. SwitchGasandElectric.com estimate that half of the UK population will be in fuel poverty by the end of this year and others estimate that as many as 45 companies are going bankrupt every day.
Smart Meters with built-in SMS technology is just one way in which utility customers can benefit from advancing mobile technology. Invaluable data can be sent from the Smart Meter as and when required making it possible for households and businesses to monitor their energy usage in real time. As a result, customers are able to monitor their consumption and make any necessary changes to their usage patterns to help them lower their energy bills. In addition to this, energy customers are finding that by receiving information more frequently they are also able to identify and investigate any irregularities straight away, helping rectify problems such as leaks quicker than they were able to in the past. Alarm messages can also be sent by SMS when a certain threshold has been exceeded to help ensure customers are not hit by large bills. Alerts can even be used to analyse temperature and gas consumption and when an issue arises, for example a burst water or gas pipe, the relevant parties are advised by SMS.
Consequently, utility companies are finding that these types of SMS messaging alerts can help improve customer satisfaction and retention rates which is a top priority for utilities. Due to the competitive nature of the market, customers can easily find out the best rates available via dedicated online websites and switch to cheaper rates and tariffs. SMS alerts to create energy efficiencies and help customers cut costs can prove to be a simple yet effective way to ensure customer loyalty. Another way that utility companies can achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction and retention rates is by using SMS to enhance general customer communications. For example, energy customers can also receive alerts regarding updates to their account or when an engineer will be arriving at their premises, helping keep customers informed and reducing the number of missed appointments.
Utility companies can also use SMS internally. Internal uses can include IT alerts, sending passwords, corporate promotions, sending meeting appointments and communicating with engineers in the field, all helping to increase operational efficiency and communications with staff. HR departments are also using SMS to update potential candidates on the status of their application, helping reduce the recruitment cycle.
There are many more ways in which mobile communications can be used to reduce energy consumption and lift customer satisfaction and retention levels and we continue to see new solutions enter the market. For example, using SMS messaging to turn off electrical devices remotely. Further information on how HSL’s reliable and easy to use SMS solutions can be used for utility companies can be found on our website at http://www.hslsms.com/sectors/utilities/. Alternatively if you wish to find out more about the general uses of enterprise SMS, please read our case studies.
Alternatively, visit us at:
http://www.linkedin.com/company/hay-systems-ltd
follow us on Twitter @HSLSMS
or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260
or email us at sales@haysystems.com
Smart Meters with built-in SMS technology is just one way in which utility customers can benefit from advancing mobile technology. Invaluable data can be sent from the Smart Meter as and when required making it possible for households and businesses to monitor their energy usage in real time. As a result, customers are able to monitor their consumption and make any necessary changes to their usage patterns to help them lower their energy bills. In addition to this, energy customers are finding that by receiving information more frequently they are also able to identify and investigate any irregularities straight away, helping rectify problems such as leaks quicker than they were able to in the past. Alarm messages can also be sent by SMS when a certain threshold has been exceeded to help ensure customers are not hit by large bills. Alerts can even be used to analyse temperature and gas consumption and when an issue arises, for example a burst water or gas pipe, the relevant parties are advised by SMS.
Consequently, utility companies are finding that these types of SMS messaging alerts can help improve customer satisfaction and retention rates which is a top priority for utilities. Due to the competitive nature of the market, customers can easily find out the best rates available via dedicated online websites and switch to cheaper rates and tariffs. SMS alerts to create energy efficiencies and help customers cut costs can prove to be a simple yet effective way to ensure customer loyalty. Another way that utility companies can achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction and retention rates is by using SMS to enhance general customer communications. For example, energy customers can also receive alerts regarding updates to their account or when an engineer will be arriving at their premises, helping keep customers informed and reducing the number of missed appointments.
Utility companies can also use SMS internally. Internal uses can include IT alerts, sending passwords, corporate promotions, sending meeting appointments and communicating with engineers in the field, all helping to increase operational efficiency and communications with staff. HR departments are also using SMS to update potential candidates on the status of their application, helping reduce the recruitment cycle.
There are many more ways in which mobile communications can be used to reduce energy consumption and lift customer satisfaction and retention levels and we continue to see new solutions enter the market. For example, using SMS messaging to turn off electrical devices remotely. Further information on how HSL’s reliable and easy to use SMS solutions can be used for utility companies can be found on our website at http://www.hslsms.com/sectors/utilities/. Alternatively if you wish to find out more about the general uses of enterprise SMS, please read our case studies.
Alternatively, visit us at:
http://www.linkedin.com/company/hay-systems-ltd
follow us on Twitter @HSLSMS
or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260
or email us at sales@haysystems.com
