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New Chartwell Report Examines Electric Utility Storm Web Sites and Online Outage Strategies
New Chartwell Report Examines Electric Utility Storm Web Sites and Online Outage Strategies
ATLANTA - April 22, 2008 - More North American utilities provide outage information online to customers through "storm center" Web sites, new Chartwell research shows. Still, there's no guarantee customers will find everything they're looking for in real time, even though their appetites for information are increasing.
Providing frequently updated customer-specific and system-wide information is one of several best practices identified by Chartwell for utilities providing outage information online. Other best practices include high visibility for outage information on the home page, maps and tables showing the number of customers affected, and prominently placed phone numbers for outage reporting and updates.
A very small percentage of customers report outages to their utilities using Web-based forms or other online means, Chartwell research shows. Yet, utilities consistently report significant spikes in Web site traffic in the days following major storm events.
"The debate used to be whether or not customers could get to storm Web sites if the power was out. Clearly, many can. As a result, utilities are focusing on how to deliver accurate outage information quickly, with layers of detail to satisfy customers' growing expectations," says Scott Johnson, Chartwell Senior Research Analyst and author of the report.
Online Outage Information: Analysis and Case Studies marks Chartwell's newest study of this rapidly evolving topic. The report features original research based on survey interviews with 63 North American utilities. Collectively, these companies serve more than 56 million customers.
Topics covered in the report include:
- Trends and opportunities
- Web-based outage reporting
- Recent outage map deployments
- Frequency of outage information updates
- Levels of detail provided
- Protecting customer privacy
- Other benefits from posting outage information online
This is the latest report in Chartwell's Customer Care Research Series, which also addresses customer information systems (CIS), call centers, customer self-service, billing and other customer contact issues.
For information regarding series membership, contact Kristy Dickens at (404) 237-9099 or (800) 432-5879; or visit www.chartwellinc.com or Chartwell's Energy Library at www.energylibrary.com.
The report also is available to non-Series members for $795 through Chartwell's Energy Library at www.energylibrary.com.
ABOUT CHARTWELL INC.
Chartwell Inc. is a specialized information provider that facilitates knowledge exchange among utility professionals responsible for management practices and technology solutions. Chartwell publishes best practices case studies, quantitative research and electronic newsletters, and hosts conferences and other events for utility professionals.
PRESS CONTACT
Scott Johnson
(404) 237-9099 Ext. 26
sjohnson@chartwellinc.com
