How Electric Utilities Benefit from Energy Audits

When energy service providers undertake audits using software tools, new potential for operational efficiency and improved consumer interaction emerge.

FREMONT,CA: To promote sustainable and innovative services, electric utility companies are updating their operations and facilities. Third-party IT companies' software solutions play a critical role in assisting utility companies in developing customized, relevant, and optimal capabilities. Energy audit programs are one example of a technology vendor's offering. Energy audits are available as automated software solutions that allow utility companies to connect customers with customized platforms that improve consumption efficiency. The technologies simplify energy audits and reduce utility service businesses' reliance on spreadsheet-based auditing tools. Adopting modern auditing modules gives utility companies a leg up on the competition when it comes to handling audits and assessments, as well as enhancing business prospects and eliminating waste and wasteful usage habits. The advantages of current auditing systems for electric utility corporations are discussed in this article.

Reporting Energy Usage

Utility service providers offer electricity to commercial or residential facilities. To understand consumption patterns, service providers depend on energy audits. With energy audits, electricity providers get consumer consumption data that is beneficial in business planning and scaling of infrastructure. However, reporting energy usage is a complicated task. To make it easier, technology vendors have created auditing and reporting solutions that can generate highly detailed reports for thousands of customers. With these solutions, utility companies will be able to accumulate consumption data efficiently. Besides, customers will get a chance to access the reports and adopt better energy use practices.

Generating Intelligence for Energy Conservation

Customizing energy subscription plans is complicated when electric utility companies try to do it in a personalized manner. With modern reporting solutions, tech vendors offer the features of intelligent reports that offer a significant amount of insights into each residential or small business customer's energy usage. Using these insights, electric utility firms can easily chart out customized plans for customers, incentivizing energy conservation in the process. Thus, with auditing tools, utility companies are empowered to undertake effective practices that promote sustainable use of energy by end-users.

Integrating Additional Services Like Billing

While some technology vendors focus entirely on serving utility companies with smart auditing solutions, others incorporate additional features that increase the functionality of the software. It might seem like a good idea for utility companies to stick to specialized auditing tools, but extras might also be advantageous from the ROI point of view. Many of the auditing solutions available in the market enable utility companies to combine billing solutions and smart auditing to provide customers with ways to reduce bills and promote savings.

Gaining a Competitive Edge with Automation

Automation is highly advantageous to businesses. Repetitive tasks become accurate and less time-consuming with automation. By deploying automation-backed smart auditing solutions, electric utility companies get a chance to achieve customer data in a timely manner and thus personalize offerings to the core. Some auditing solutions contain dedicated features like energy advisors, which allow utility companies to engage customers better. With the evolution of Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning, technology vendors have been able to design meaningful solutions that reduce operational costs associated with large scale auditing. By leveraging automation, smart auditing solutions have created new opportunities for electric providers to stay ahead of competitors and be a trusted service provider to their clients.

Previously, electric utility companies had to depend on call centers or other such external facilities to conduct effective energy audits. But now, technology has intervened to make audits a very simple and smart process that can unlock many rewards for electric utility companies.