Marisa Miralles Vice President, Business Development Information Intellect

1. Going Beyond AMR: Using AMR as a Customer Service Tool- it’s not just for eliminating Meter Readers Anymore Marisa Miralles Vice President, Business Development Information Intellect

2. The Evolution of AMR

3. Automation in Meter Reading Historical Landscape Beyond AMR Advanced AMR (AMR) Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Fixed Network – Level 3 Fixed Network – Level 2 Remote Meter Reading (RMR) Fixed Network – Level 1 • Infra needed • One- way • One service • RF, Cell, PLC Telephony • Infrastructure needed • Point to Point • Multi- service • Device for each service • Mesh Network • – no infrastructure • Two way • Multi service • Single device supporting all services Walk-by Drive-by Manual • Submetering • Single service • Monthly, Daily Reads • Requires towers, repeaters • Up to 96 reads / day • Two way communication • Single service • Requires towers, repeaters • 1 – way communications • 1 read per month • Requires manpower and vehicles- Functionality • Device is the repeater! • Reads electric, gas, • water, steam from same device • No infrastructure • PLUS • Allows reallocation of personnel and vehicles • Outage Notification • PLUS • Allows time of use billing • Load balancing • PLUS • Reduced cost per meter point • Improved coverage • Analog data collection • RTU flexibility • Cost reduction - Manpower • Time to Bill • Improved Accuracy Value Proposition

4. Best Practices Random survey of 13 utilities-electric water and gas ranging from 42,000 customers to 1.2 million • Technology is most often referenced as a best practice Top technology Best Practices • CIS Conversion • GUI/CRM front end • Self service • AMR • Data Warehousing • GIS 46% of Best Practices referenced were technology based 27% of Best Practices are people related

5. AMR was considered by some as the most cost effective technology investment

6. Benefits of AMR Meter Reading Technology Billing Call Center

7. Benefits in Technology • Depending on which technology you chose the benefits can have a tremendous impact on your customer service operations • Not all technologies are the same • Keep in mind your future customer service needs when selecting an AMR system

8. Benefits in Meter Readings • Eliminating inaccurate meter readings • Eliminate entering houses • Estimating reads, high reads, open and close • Tampering/theft • Disconnects • Time of use • On demand

9. Benefits in Billing • More timely comprehensive billing • On demand reading, time of use reads • Flexibility in billing options

10. Benefits in Call Centers • Greater usage of information • On demand reading, time of use reads • Detecting outages earlier • Reduction in volume of calls in call center, customer self-service • Calling in usage • Reduce call center staff

11. Case Studies

12. Empire Electric District Based in Joplin, Missouri, The Empire District Electric Company (NYSE:EDE) is an investor-owned utility providing electric service to approximately 157,000 customers in southwest Missouri, southeast Kansas, northeast Oklahoma, and northwest Arkansas. Empire provides water service in three incorporated communities in Missouri. Benefits Why AMR? Capture System Loss Providing reads/billing for additional services

13. Delano Electric and Water Delano Electric and Water services 4,000 electric and water customers in Delano, MN Why AMR? Benefits Manage peak power and eliminating turning on peaking units Add viewing the customer usage online

14. Greater Cincinnati Water Works GCWW supplies more than 48 billion gallons of water a year through 2,900 miles of water mains to about 235,000 residential and commercial accounts. Why AMR? Benefits Meter reader turnover Accessing meters Keys • 15-20% reduction in call Volume

15. AMR is a Customer Service Project and it’s not just for eliminating meter readers anymore

16. Questions??

17. For any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact the Metering, Billing, CRM/CIS America 2005 management Devi Paulsen Spintelligent Phone: 888 559 8017 (US)devip@spintelligent.com www.metering.com/events Contact the organizers