Digitising United Energy's smart meter rollout
14 May 2021
United Energy (UE) distributes energy to Victorians in Melbourne’s east and south-east suburbs and the Mornington Peninsula. United Energy operates its network 24/7 to provide electricity to customers, maintain public lighting systems and offer meter data to retailers. Its network comprises over 215,000 poles, thousands of kilometers of powerlines, and 700,000 customers.
Image courtesy of United Energy.
the challenge
UE was in the process of replacing the existing, analogue electricity meters across its network with smart meters as part of its Legacy Meter Exchange program. But to make things difficult, staff were relying on a combination of digital data entry and in-field data collection with paper forms.
As a result, paperwork often went missing, got damaged, or needed to be correctly filled out. On top of that, staff was using different systems and programs for communicating with customers and completing tasks. This meant information was mishandled or duplicated as personnel transferred data from paper forms to the digital system.
To simplify upgrading these smart meters, UE requires a single system for data collection and communication.
United Energy requirements
“The best benefit of Xugo for us was to have our database and access everything in one platform. We have all conversations in Xugo, from engaging with customers to closing the job. So, everything is done in one system, our scheduling, our photos, all data capturing, which makes the job much easier.”
“We are truly delighted to have UE come on board with Xugo and are enjoying working with them to enhance their roll-out of the meter exchange program and to strengthen their engagement with their customers which aligns with their code of values and is intrinsic in enhancing their customer service.”
Matthew Croft
General Manager @ SFI
the result
For its Legacy Meter Exchange Program, UE engaged Xugo to take care of the administration side of things. With Xugo, important information was collected and stored in a secured platform with built-in redundancy.
Using Xugo, UE had one platform for everything during the process. This meant office staff and technicians could access any information in the database from any location.
With no manual paper forms to fill out, technicians could quickly gather customer details and other information to efficiently upgrade old manual meters to smart ones, making the process easier for staff and customers. Technicians could then upload data and photos of meter readings and installations in real time, offering greater traceability.
On top of that, filling out forms in Xugo meant employees had to submit a job safety analysis before they could complete a form, meaning safety was not neglected during the process.
Everything could be done in one system, including engaging with customers, handling complaints, scheduling appointments, and seeing all tasks to completion. With a streamlined and automated process, UE noticed an 80-90 percent increase in efficiency. Xugo eliminated any accidentally double-booked appointments and reduced customer follow-ups.