Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 8TH - 14TH FEBRUARY 2019 | 29 Operations & Assets water industry. Since launching 18 months ago the app has been downloaded 60,000 times, 97,000 transactions have been made, £4.1 million-worth of bills have been paid using the platform and £25,000-worth of meter readings have been processed. Since the launch of the app United Utili- ties' active digital customer base has risen from 34 per cent to 37 per cent. This repre- sents an increase of 87,000 people (from 2.9ƒmillion). The app has been described as a "grow- ing payment channel", accounting for 7 per cent of all transactions. On top of this, the entrants say it has driven down internal costs. With fewer resources tied up with pay- ment processing and minor queries, more time can be dedicated to customers with more complex issues, providing a "better overall customer experience". Since the launch of the app, more water companies are starting to o‹ er something similar, thus helping to drive market change across the board. Bene ts for the business The app has so far exceeded all expecta- tions, proved a market need and helped to drive the digital shiŽ the business wanted. The app has: • Driven down costs internally. • Reduced manual payment processing and minor queries. • Enabled the reallocation of time given to customers who have more complex issues. • Provided a better overall customer experience. Since launch, the app has added a whole new dimension to the United Utilities o‹ er- ing – and this is just the start. United Utilities says it has developed a clear technology roadmap in accordance with business goals and has already identi- ™ ed a series of key features for growth that will help take the app past "business as usual", to provide services not currently o‹ ered by other water providers. On 7 September the company launched an innovative "report a leak" function, which allows anyone who downloads the app to report an issue quickly and eš ciently – users can take a picture of a leak with their device, and using Google Maps integration, the exact location can be pinpointed by the United Utilities team. This saves United Utilities time, adds context to the severity of the issue, deepens customer engagement with the organisation, and aids them in their e‹ orts to reduce water wastage. Apadmi and United Utilities pictured on awards night in London at the Grosvenor Hotel in December, with guest host Sue Perkins (far left) and acting editor of Utility Week Suzanne Heneghan (far right) What the judges said… The entry was an "exemplar of innovation and engagement". The 2019 Utility Week Awards will be opening soon. Sponsorship opportunities are available – contact Utility Week business development manager Ben Hammond on ben- hammond@fav-house.com or call 01342 332116 for more information. Customer Engagement Award Category sponsor: KPMG Award winner: Apadmi and United Utilities • Annual company turno- ver: UU - £1.7 billion • Number of directly- employed sta‹ : UU - 5,000 Apadmi – 70+ Entry criteria: 1. Quality of entry (clear, evidence-based) 2. Clear, quanti™ able goals set for the project that were met or exceeded 3. Measurable bene™ ts for all customers, or a signi™ cant proportion of customers 4. Measurable bene™ ts for the business 5. Evidence of going beyond business as usual The Utility Week Awards are held in association with Capgemini, CGI and MicrosoŽ The judges were a panel independent from the sponsors

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