Customer energy services using power line carrier

Customers wish to see meters displaying energy used in terms meaningful to them pounds and pence. Trials have delivered this and the resultant customer reaction has been measured as very favourable. Such meter displays give customers the opportunity to cross-check their electricity account without reference to the electric utility company. This feature is the birth of home account interrogation, opening the way for a significant new method of doing business with customers. In addition the trial has shown that a fully visit-free service, removing the traditional service needs of making appointments, requesting customers to call and performing the visits, is now a business reality. Power line carrier (PLC) systems can unlock savings in customer time and business costs that existing visiting metering systems incur. The Siemens MainsMaster 2000 system used in this trial has demonstrated its ability to create new methods of providing added value services viewed from both customers and the business. Most importantly it has delivered these services