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Unique Services Available
As a result of the unique structure of our CMI, we have developed a subset of advanced and comprehensive services. These include:
Pre-Pay Programs: While our CMI can interface with most Pre-Payment Programs, we have approached Pre-Pay with a unique methodology as a result of our experience and accumulated knowledge of various pre-pay concepts and billing system experience.
The result is a combination of the best features of several approaches culminating in an internet based distributed intelligence residing in the CMI and in the meter / AMI collector network.
ECN’s Pre-Pay system complies is a part of the
PayGoUtilities™ network and its subsidiary
PayGoElectric™ which encompasses over 110,000 payment locations nationwide.
PayGoUtilities™
offers branded Pre-pay VISA and Mastercard, Pre-Pay cards, Stored Valued cards, gift cards
and direct payment options.
Remote Self-Service Reconnect: CMI integration with multiple systems has produced a web-based customer self-service reconnection program whereby the customer may pay his bill over the internet or with a cell phone and ultimately reconnect his electrical service (meter) without having to talk to a customer service representative.
No-Cost Remote Disconnect / Reconnect:
As a function of its service model, ECN can offer a “pay-as-you-go” meter Disconnect and Reconnect program which allows a comprehensive CMI to the utility’s CIS, MDM, GIS, IVR, AMI, Customer Access, and Outage Management at no upfront or monthly service cost. The service is provided at 10% - 20% of the savings to the utility.
Therefore there is no out-of-pocket costs to the utility with a guaranteed savings of at least 80% of the existing associated costs.
Interactive PDF Bills: ECN can offer an Interactive PDF Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP).
This is much more sophisticated than typical EBPP because it embeds interactive buttons, movies, linking, prompting, database integration, targeted messaging, advertising, and retail promotions...all within a standard PDF bill.
Internet Pre-Pay Metering for most AMI Systems: There are a number of Pre-Pay approaches in the marketplace from rechargeable memory cards to CIS based debit systems. Most of these are inefficient or proprietary. ECN has combined the “Best-of-Breed” to create a generic, functional and manageable approach to this ever increasing popular payment method. Advanced functionality with over twenty (20) functions is available.
Internet Remote Load Control: Interruptible Power customers, Load Control are noting new and remote control systems are nothing new. However, the ability to interface to these systems via the internet with an upfront cost of less than $1000 per location with a cost as low as $15 per month with start / stop and 5-minute real-time readings is an innovative service.
Utility Based Home Automation: Smart homes are here! Utilities, multifamily and single-family home owners are approaching this technology as a way to not only provide new services to its customers but also as a method to lower energy costs.
Savings can range from $115 to over $500 per household per year while at the same time lowering the utility demand charges substantially.
Remote Energy Management Solutions:
Multi-Family properties can save up to $150 per year per apartment by utilizing ECN’s web-based technologies to remotely turn water heaters off, cycle appliances such as refrigerators on and off, and automatically raising and lowering thermostats automatically for vacant units.
Additional advanced functionality is also available.
Furthermore, we are very willing to incorporate innovative customer ideas at no development costs.
ECN’s
Pre-Pay Module
is a custom designed chipset specifically to handle the
complex rates and billing structure associated with Pre-Pay metering.
AMI systems are designed to collect meter data and are not suited for the
constant data transfer associated with Pre-Pay account status, analysis, evaluation,
and calculations.
The
Pre-Pay Module can be incorporated into an existing
“Smart” meter with a disconnect (and with the cooperation of the meter company)
or it can be utilized as a part of ECN’s “Collar Meter”.
The Collar also consists of a complete ANSI 12.19, 21, 22 revenue grade meter,
a 200-amp disconnect switch, a cellular data modem (or AMI communications card,
an internal antenna, a programmable digital display, a Zigbee radio for communications
with an optional thermostat and in-home display, and the
Pre-Pay Module .
See the spec sheet for more details.
Benefits: Pre-Pay metering and services is not a
new concept however previous methodologies are antiquated.
ECN combined its billing software development experience with its knowledge
of the AMI industry and designed the complete end-to-end Pre-Pay solution.
The result is a self contained Pre-Pay product that provides the utility
with the following list of extended benefits provided within the service delivery
package.
Two-way communications for remote access for reading capability,
connect/disconnect, DSM options and other features are provided as a part of the
complete standard delivery package.
Features:
Unlike other Pre-Pay devices
on the market, ECN’s
Pre-Pay Module in conjunction with
PayGoUtilities™
provides extensive functionality not
found anywhere else in the industry.
Although ECN can provide Pre-Pay through four (4) different approaches as described
later, the true benefit of Pre-Pay is accomplished through the
Pre-Pay Module
which is a chipset installed in the meter or collar.
The result is a stand-alone “cash register” located at the customer’s premise
with extensive computing capability.
The following are some of the features of the system:
Features...
Metering Capabilities
(includes
Pre-Pay Module
)
Why Pre-Pay:
Pre-Pay has become a very hot
topic in the last year because of the rising cost of energy and the large increase
in the number of delinquent accounts.
Numerous articles can be found regarding the severity of the situation.
(See “More Utility Bills Go Unpaid”,
Wall Street Journal, November 3, 2008).
There
are many reasons to offer a Pre-Pay solution for the utility and for its customers
(and not just for the credit challenged):
All
of these factors can be summarized in providing a better service to the customer
while reducing the operating cost to the utility yet at the same time eliminating
bad debt and improving cash flow.
Four Types of Pre-Pay Solutions: Utilities have tried a variety of methods
of Pre-Pay metering solutions, all of which can be place into one of four categories:
(1)
Estimation: This involves the assumption that a customer will use a fixed
number of kWh per day and that amount is deducted from the customer’s account on
a monthly or daily basis. This approach
causes customer concern when the monthly account settlement occurs.
(2)
Stand Alone Meter: The
old methodology of providing a Pre-Pay solution was a meter with a plug-in card
that the customer would remove, take to a kiosk or other location and “recharge”
the card with additional funds, a real inconvenience for the customer.
(3)
Back Office with AMI: Many
utilities are of the belief that an AMI system will automatically position the utility
to offer a Pre-Pay solution. The fallacy
of this approach is the frequent “polling” of the meter to provide the customer
with an accurate account balance and status.
Furthermore the cost associated modifying the back office Billing, CRM, and IT systems
can be significant not to mention possibly a year or more for integration.
(4)
Blended: ECN’s
approach to let system do what they do best.
If a meter is truly “Smart” then let the “Smarts” reside in the meter which is the
task of the
Pre-Pay Module . This
allows the AMI and back office systems to function as they were designed without
“bogging-down” the AMI backhaul network, while providing maximum flexibility.
Payment Processing: The utility must provide the customer
a variety of methods to make payments in a convenient and efficient manner. EnergyComNetwork has established
PayGoUtilities™ and PayGoElectric™ in order to facilitate a wide variety
of network payment options. The customer
has a choice of paying by one of the following methods:
Hosted service:
The most efficient and cost effective manner in which to implement
a Pre-Pay solution is through a “hosted” environment.
Pre-Pay is a very specific and unique product that approximately 10% - 15%
of the customer base will utilize.
Consequently it is impractical to install new hardware, software, and other systems,
pay annual license fees and upgrades, hire additional staff, etc. to support such
a small customer base.
Therefore
EnergyComNetwork offers the Pre-Pay solution as a service including the following:
This
approach is also the quickest to implement.
The first customer can be on line and making payments in as little as two weeks. There are no additional hidden costs. The service is priced as a fixed
price per customer per month, very much in line with standard utility monthly charges. |
