We’re keeping it real
In 2015 Metropolis was approached by an electricity retailer to develop a new product and service innovation allowing customers to access real time metering data through an energy app for mobile devices due to be launched in 2016. The product is a cornerstone for the retailer’s customer acquisition strategy.
Challenge
Allow tens of thousands of electricity consumers to access real time household energy usage data at anytime from anywhere in the world, through a custom application developed by the retailer for mobile devices.
Solution
Metropolis maintains an Application Programming Interface (API) to enable external parties to securely access and interact with Metropolis’s advanced meter network and data management systems. Working closely with the retailer’s development team, the energy app was integrated with the API to ‘poll’ the customer’s metering installation upon opening of the energy app, and to continually ‘poll’ the metering installation while the app remains open. With ‘poll’ responses averaging 10-15 seconds, consumers have access to real time electricity metering data.
Outcome
The retailer successfully launched the energy app as a component of its electricity product and service suite in early 2016 and continues to attract and acquire new customers with this innovative offer.