Today’s consumers expect and demand more flexibility from their service providers, including simpler payment terms. As a result, U.S. utilities seek new pricing options to align with their consumer’s expectations and demands. Prepay, or paying for services in advance, billing options are now at the forefront and gaining traction with utilities and their consumers.

A new white paper by Landis+Gyr, Utility Prepay Programs: Overcoming Obstacles, Finding Value by Jonathan Leifheit and Lisa Washburn, defines Prepay, highlights why it’s emerging and identifies how utilities can address the objections to Prepay. The paper covers the Prepay drivers for utilities to include improved financials, reduced costs, and higher customer satisfaction numbers. The paper also covers benefits for consumers such as improvements in budget flexibility and a greater awareness of energy usage.

To keep pace with the fast-moving changes of the future grid, prepay solutions are designed to help utilities manage resources by enabling the utilization of edge intelligence to support a more balanced, efficient, and flexible distribution network. Prepay can extend the benefits of utilities AMI investments to consumers by providing real-time access to energy data for greater control of energy usage. The solution enables utilities to offer flexible payment options to enhance customer satisfaction and provide a greater level of engagement. This, in turn, lowers utility costs associated with call center support, collections, and write-offs.

Landis+Gyr’s Prepay solution integrates with other aspects of the Landis+Gyr portfolio. With seamless integration of metering and Command Center Head End System, utilities can leverage their existing Focus AX-SD integrated meters. Additionally, the P450 in-home display device delivers a user-friendly interface for consumers, along with the ability to leverage an existing payment processor.

Going forward, prepay consumers will become even more empowered to understand, adjust and budget for their energy usage. A smarter grid creates infinite possibilities – and Landis+Gyr’s Prepay offering is ready to help utilities and consumers maximize this potential.