Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has become one of the first Distribution Network Operators (DNO) to use smart video technology to improve customer service for upgrading an electricity connection to support low carbon technologies.
The new partnership with software experts Vyntelligence sees SSEN embed AI-powered video analysis into the customer connections process, to support the uptake of heat pumps and electric vehicle (EV) chargers, as well as the delivery of general upgrades to electricity connections. It will do this by reducing the need for site visits, thus simplifying the installation process for customers.
Customers will be able to use their smartphones to provide SSEN’s connections experts with high-quality footage of where cables would need to be installed. This means SSEN’s teams would be well-prepared for the job without needing to carry out a site visit beforehand – and reduce the number of engineers required in communities, reducing pollution.
Video surveys can also be used by customers needing to make various changes to electricity supplies, thus removing the need for them to arrange site visits.
As part of SSEN Distribution’s commitment to ensure services are accessible and open to everyone, customers who don’t have a smart phone, have difficulty using the platform, or would simply prefer not to use it, can still request an in-person visit.
Eliane Algaard, Services Director at SSEN Distribution, says:
“This partnership – and the new solution it’s literally putting in the hands of our customers – is vital as part of the wider process of decarbonising our communities.
“Thanks to Vyntelligence, we’ll be able to streamline the process of managing the demand for network upgrades. A successful two-year pilot of this technology has proven its effectiveness, so we’re now ready to roll it out more widely with confidence to customers across our network areas.”
Kapil Singhal, Vyntelligence’s Co-founder and CEO, says:
“We’re delighted to be an early partner to help re-imagine SSEN Distribution’s customer journey. As the world changes and skilled field teams become harder to find, we’ve opened this process to be more inclusive, empowering customers to easily take an active role in the process.
“Everyone benefits when we collaborate, we achieve faster connections for our communities, a more efficient network, and a healthier planet for us all.”
Image courtesy of SSEN
