ATLANTA, Sept. 14, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apogee Interactive today announced the launch of Energy Advisor, the latest release of its flagship home energy analysis application. This upgrade will soon be available to the millions of households Apogee serves through contracts with hundreds of US utilities. This application analyzes customer’s energy use and provides personalized, actionable tips matched with relevant rebates and program offers for reducing usage and costs.
Available on utilities’ websites, in customer portals, and distributed to customers electronically, Energy Advisor is optimized for use on mobile devices. Customers begin by profiling their homes and habits in an interactive, game-like survey requiring less than a minute to complete. Upon completion, users see a report with specific recommendations for reducing their energy use including estimates of upfront cost, indication of difficulty level for implementing each measure along with “how to” explanations to help them get started. They can interact with graphical breakdowns of their monthly and annual use and even see a forecast of their projected energy bills.
“Our utility clients see significant lifts in customer satisfaction, expanded program participation, and fewer bill-inquiries resulting from use of our applications,” says Susan Gilbert, Apogee president and CEO. “And customers want information relevant to their lives, therefore our tools deliver that as powerful, proactive messaging that drives program participation and cuts costs.” She added, “While we are upgrading all of our utility clients to the new release, our loyalty-licensing assures prices will not change from what was originally contracted even though the application’s capabilities continually evolve.”
According to Jeff Conklin, who leads JD Power’s utility practice, just being aware of utility programs or participating in one boosts customer satisfaction by more than 10%, and a 2015 Accenture study documented that digitally engaged customers are 25 percent more satisfied with their energy provider than non-digital users. In addition to customer satisfaction lift, studies show that customers who use the Energy Advisor software see a 2% to 4% increase in energy efficiency.
With the Energy Advisor application in place, utilities can easily and cost-effectively expand their digital engagement initiatives. The proprietary AMES™ analytical engine powering the energy analysis provides accurate and consistent messaging. Many choose to deploy other proactive outbound communication tools offered as part of Apogee’s Empower platform, including personalized video messaging, mid-cycle bill alerts, and energy summary reports, all of which are proven to measurably increase customer satisfaction and engagement.
To learn more about the new features included in Energy Advisor, visit www.apogee.net.
About Apogee Interactive
Apogee Interactive is one of the nation’s leading providers of customer engagement software services for US energy utilities. Partnering with utilities since 1993, Apogee's digital engagement platform delivers proactive, personalized communication to residential and commercial customers nationwide. Apogee's proven SaaS platform enables more meaningful customer engagement, proven sustainable energy results, reduced operating costs, and improved program performance for utilities. For more information, please visit www.apogee.net and follow us on Twitter at @apoweb.