Following calls from Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, to water companies encouraging them to be more creative in how they charge customers – to reduce bills and save water supplies – Andy Mack, Software Director of Aptumo, a part of Echo Managed Services, says:
“Launching new flexible tariffs to help people reduce consumption and lower their bills is beneficial to both the environment and people’s pockets. especially during the on-going cost-of-living crisis, so it’s great to see this as a focus for the sector. But making sure back-end systems and processes are also capable of delivering this type of trial will be central to its success.
“Providing a great billing customer experience is reliant on a billing system which can offer multiple billing options to many customers. Water companies must make sure their billing software is able to cope with an advanced level of customisation, and that it can support smart meter network data and deal with numerous alternative tariffs. Otherwise water companies risk falling behind others in the industry or not delivering a smooth billing experience for customers.
“Whilst the focus is quite rightly on tariff innovation, creativity and a sector smart meter roll out to help reduce bills and save precious water supplies, we mustn’t lose sight of the billing customer experience. Water companies shouldn’t forget the importance of having the right systems, processes, and support in place to ensure new tariffs are introduced and delivered smoothly. This is a sector that’s long been characterised by simpler metered or unmeasured charges, and this additional complexity could damage the success of new tariff trials if not carefully considered.”
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