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April 30 - May 4, 2012

Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center

Dallas/Ft Worth, TX

Utilities Attend CS Week 2012 for Content and Inspiration

One of the challenges facing all utilities in this slow economic recovery is how we can best support our low income and income challenged customers during these hard times. Customers dealing with job losses and financial setbacks are finding it increasingly difficult to pay their bills. It is incumbent on the utilities to find innovative ways to help this segment of the population.

Utility companies, in general, are willing to assist as many customers as possible when they need help paying their water or energy bills. Nationwide, utilities do not want to disconnect their customers’ service or water. Most companies try to offer as many grants and financial assistance programs as possible as well as direct customers needing help to non-profits, government programs and other services.

Utility professionals have demonstrated both compassion and ingenuity as the recession continues to linger, however with these challenges come opportunities. Salt River Project, as an example, instituted a robust time-of-day plan as well as offering M Power® - a pre-pay smart card.

The workshops of Conference 36 include a total of 19 workshops across Credit & Collections, Billing and Payments. Three workshops in particular address proactive utility actions to assist your customers: Offering Customers a Comprehensive Bill Payment Option; Managing the Revenue Cycle in Tough Economic Times and Assisting Your Low Income Customers in an Already Challenging Economy.

The true value of these workshops, as well as all of CS Week 2012, is that courses are presented by working utility professionals – men and women who use every resource they have to identify and solve problems, develop innovative approaches and solutions to strengthen their utilities and better serve their customers.

Customer engagement sounds like a new term, but it more fully encompasses the two-way relationships that serve both customers and utilities better. I look forward to discussing this and other topics with you at CS Week 2012 in Dallas/Fort Worth, April 30-May 4, 2012.

Mark Wyatt 2012 Conference Chair VP, Smart Grid & Energy Systems Duke Energy