The upcoming AMP8 cycle (2025-2030) represents a pivotal shift in the UK water sector. With the industry’s focus on operational efficiency and customer service, water companies are pushing towards digital solutions, such as smart metering, to enhance transparency and streamline resource management.
As the UK moves closer to widespread smart metering adoption, the emphasis on improving customer communication and experience has never been greater.
Providing a great customer experience will be key to fostering loyal customers and ensuring positive experiences with smart metering systems.
However, despite the promising potential of smart meters, challenges still abound.
Smart metering is intended to make life easier for consumers, but millions of households are missing out on its benefits due to faults and poor supplier responses.
According to research from Citizens Advice, 20% of households with smart meters—2.86 million—still have to submit manual meter readings because their device isn’t working properly.
A further 31% reported issues with their in-home display, and those unhappy with their installation experience are far less likely to adopt critical smart energy services.
This can result in estimated bills that lead to financial strain and customer dissatisfaction.
This lack of reliable technology and poor communication creates frustration for customers and poses a significant hurdle in achieving AMP8’s broader sustainability and digital transformation goals.
Some common challenges include:
To address these challenges and improve customer experience, water companies need tools that enable better communication and faster problem-solving in the field. This is where FYLD ShowMe comes in.
FYLD ShowMe allows customers to report issues and request services through real-time video, providing immediate insights into smart meter installations or repair work.
By enabling customers to document issues visually, ShowMe enhances the accuracy of issue identification, helps resolve problems faster, and improves overall service delivery.
This customer-facing tool can significantly improve customer engagement by offering positive customer experiences that build trust and lead to loyal customers.
Empowering customers
ShowMe allows customers to record and share real-time footage of their issues, helping companies diagnose and fix problems as they arise. This means faster decisions, fewer disruptions, and a more seamless customer experience.
Building customer trust
Customers often feel disconnected during the process of reporting or resolving issues. With ShowMe, they can capture and share footage, providing a clear visual record of the problem.
This transparency builds trust, reduces disputes, and increases overall customer satisfaction, ensuring water companies can retain loyal customers who appreciate a great customer experience.
Smart metering and future challenges for AMP8
As smart metering continues to grow in the AMP8 cycle, water companies will face increasing operational complexity.
The anticipated surge in installations means companies must be ready to handle the additional workload while maintaining high standards of customer service and managing customer data more effectively.
Data management and response times
Quick resolution of smart meter issues—whether due to water usage anomalies or meter malfunctions—will become critical. FYLD’s AI-driven insights ensure field teams can act swiftly, minimising downtime and allowing utilities to address issues before they escalate.
Frictionless communication
Complex technical issues often require nuanced explanations, but FYLD ShowMe enables customers to simplify this by sharing video evidence directly with the water company.
This reduces confusion, speeds up resolutions, and limits the need for lengthy back-and-forth communication, providing a positive customer experience.
Reducing downtime and disruption
The ability to provide real-time visual evidence helps water companies respond to outages or disruptions more effectively, leading to less inconvenience for customers and helping maintain positive customer engagement.
Enhancing compliance
In an era of strict regulatory oversight, ShowMe provides water companies with an auditable record of every installation and repair, helping ensure compliance with AMP8’s standards and preventing costly penalties.
As water companies ramp up smart metering installations over the next five years, scalability and efficiency will be critical. FYLD ShowMe offers a solution that seamlessly scales with growing operational demands, ensuring field teams maintain high performance.
With customers expecting greater transparency and real-time communication, FYLD ShowMe positions water companies to meet these expectations while navigating the complexities of AMP8.
By leveraging real-time visual data, ShowMe helps water companies enhance transparency, reduce disruptions, and streamline operations, streamlining compliance with AMP8 standards.
This approach not only builds trust but also creates positive experiences and loyal customers through improved customer engagement.
As the UK water sector moves forward with smart metering adoption, FYLD ShowMe will play a pivotal role in transforming customer-facing operations and boosting operational efficiency.
Ready to see how FYLD ShowMe can transform your smart metering operations? Click here to see how it works.