Energy provider gives Peace a chance

Advance Energy customers can pay their bills online for the first time, thanks to an upgrade in the company’s customer self-service and e-commerce software.

The Australian energy service provider has expanded its interactive Web site through implementation of Peace Software’s Energy Version 6 software.

“Since Peace’s energy system was first installed several years ago,” says Craig Murray, managing director at Advance Energy, “it has provided the framework for our business expansion in Australia’s deregulating electricity market. We use the system extensively to support our key operations, everything from acquiring customers to complex billing and call center customer care.

“The latest version scales us to even greater heights in responding to our customers’ needs. For the first time, our customers can pay their bills online and have broader and personalized access to their account information to make informed decisions about their energy consumption.”

Version 6 preloads an individual customer’s data as soon as he or she logs onto Advance Energy’s Web site. As a result, customers have fast access to account information as they click between pages.

Peace Software says that Version 6 contains the following customer self-service enhancements: broader, more dynamic navigation and drill-down capabilities, personalized account management, additional analysis tools, and extended online bill presentment and payment options. Commercial and industrial customers can view 3-D virtual reality demand profiles of their half-hourly electricity consumption to better manage their energy budget.

Advance Energy says it was the first utility in Australia to develop a Web site to enable customers to access their accounts and monitor their energy usage online. A regionally based energy retailer and distributor, the company supplies power to the Australian states of New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Queensland.