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CONTACT INFORMATION
Puget Sound Energy
www.pugetsoundenergy.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Puget Sound Energy's Customer Information
System Sets New Standards for Industry; ConsumerLinX Provides Possibilities
for Two-Way Data Communication
BELLEVUE, WA., April 17, 2000 - (BUSINESS WIRE) -When you
think of high tech opening up a future of choices, seldom do energy
utilities come to mind. Puget Sound Energy (NYSE: PSD), however,
has linked technologies that not only provide faster service and
new conveniences, but will revolutionize the relationship of energy
companies with their customers by matching and billing customers'
real time energy use with real time energy market pricing.
This month's PSE electric bills are the product of an advanced
customer information system (CIS) called ConsumerLinX™.
"ConsumerLinX is the first utility customer information system
designed with the 21st century in mind," commented Craig Boice,
president of the Boice Dunham Group, a New York City-based energy
industry consultancy. "In the new energy industry of real-time
pricing, PSE should be well-positioned to Deliver real-time value."
"Our customers are getting a glimpse of the future,"
said Penny Gullekson, vice president of customer services for Puget
Sound Energy. "The ConsumerLinX billing and customer care system,
tied in with our extensive wireless automated meter reading network
and PSE's suite of updated systems, gives our customers the possibility
of broader choices. It's like virtual deregulation."
A key feature of ConsumerLinX, developed by ConneXt, a Seattle-based
developer of billing and customer care systems for energy utilities,
is its flexible foundation that can adapt to consumer needs as well
as to changes occurring in the industry and with utilities. Puget
Sound Energy set its sights on a highly-adaptable platform four
years ago when it began to deploy a new generation of technologies
tied to metering, billing and real-time two-way data communication
between customers and the utility. The Puget Sound Energy platform
will enable real-time pricing for energy, and real-time communications
with customers about usage and billing.
The future choices that will be available to consumers using Puget
Sound Energy's system include: access to their accounts via Internet,
e-mail, fax or telephone to monitor usage; shifting energy demand
in response to prices that fluctuate throughout the day; choosing
the time of month to pay their bill and opting to pay their bill
through electronic bank transfer, among other services.
Besides obtaining and analyzing energy data, the flexibility built
into ConsumerLinX also allows billing capabilities for new products
and services.
Launched on April 10, ConsumerLinX made a smooth transition that
set industry records for conversion to a system-wide technology.
In fact, during the month of April at the company's state-of-the-art
customer care center in Bothell, Wash., customer service levels
for calls answered live within 30 seconds were 88%, an improvement
of 12%, compared with the first quarter's results with the old system.
The ConsumerLinX system now serves PSE's 907,000 electricity accounts.
The company's 570,000 natural gas accounts will convert to the system
later this year.
About Puget Sound Energy
Puget Sound Energy is one of the energy industry's national pacesetters
in operating a wireless automated meter reading network. Already
more than 700,000 natural gas and electric meters in the Puget Sound
area relay up-to-the minute information about energy consumption.
By the end of 2001, Puget Sound Energy will provide network meter
reading services to more than 1.3 million meters, or 95% of all
customers in western Washington.
to learn more about Puget Sound Energy (NYSE: PSD) and ConneXt,
a PSE subsidiary, see www.pugetsoundenergy.com
and www.connext.com.
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