Orga Systems and Meralco, an Asian energy supplier, are bringing the first smart grid solution to the Philippines. In an initial pilot scheme, 40,000 customers will be connected. Using Orga Systems’ OS.Energy as a component part, Meralco is now providing dynamic smart metering end-to-end services.
OS.Energy offers a tiered prepaid electricity scheme based on real-time billing software. It improves energy cost-effectiveness and offers real customer-centric services.
Using OS.Energy for their smart metering infrastructure enables Meralco to communicate with its customers in real time to notify and advise them of consumption, thresholds, and payment issues.
It also offers tiered tariffs, including multilevel thresholds, and has the ability to remotely connect or disconnect customers. This delivers great benefits, helping Meralco improve its revenue management, resolve performance bottlenecks in rating the data derived from meters, and monetise new value-added services.
“Orga Systems’ OS.Energy will play a crucial role in our smart grid initiative”, Meralco Senior Vice President and Head of Customer Retail Services Alfredo S. Panlilio states. “We chose OS.Energy to offer real-time pricing and customer tailored prepaid energy tariffs, underlining our continued commitment to achieve improved customer service and satisfaction”, he continues.
As part of their customer satisfaction strategy, Meralco researched its customers to see what service and solution would give them the best alternative to a standard postpaid bill.
The company found that customers preferred to be billed as they would on their mobile phones, using the Filipino’s penchant for `tingi´ (per-piece-buying). The customers wanted the convenience they experienced with their phones and benefits they get from prepaid services usage.
