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CRM Portal Gives Low-Income Household Access to Green Energy
In just six months, Root16 Reply transformed a complex payment portal into an automated, user-friendly system for a growing energy program.
About the company
A nonprofit energy company started a program in the Northeast in 2020, offering low-income households the opportunity to subsidize their electricity (and electric bill) with discounted, cleaner solar energy.
SCENARIO
Green Energy Program
After enrolling, customers began paying two bills: one to their electric company, which reflected lower energy consumption plus a green energy discount, and a second to the nonprofit for providing solar energy. By paying two bills, the customer saved up to 50% on their electricity costs.
However, as the program grew, the volume and complexity of customer information became overwhelming. The client needed a robust portal to manage all the information, reduce time spent on manual tasks, and minimize errors.
THE CHALLENGE
Initial system did not support a scalable customer support program
It was the nonprofit’s responsibility to verify that all participants were eligible, coordinate usage and discounts between the two energy bills, manage payments for the solar energy bill, and effectively address questions and concerns from those in the community. The nonprofit also desired to make this pilot program scalable so it could serve as a model for more communities across the U.S., making green energy more accessible, especially for low-income households.
The program started with a system that missed several major objectives:
- Customers had to submit information and wait for staff review before learning if they qualified for the program
- Billing adjustments and payments were estimated and recorded through a tedious process using multiple Google Sheets
- Payment processing was not automated
- Customers could not see their previous invoices and payments online
- Customer service was a messy, slow process
These challenges were compounded as additional utility companies joined the program, making it clear that the system was barely manageable for the 2,000 customers it already served and would not scale effectively to other communities.
THE APPROACH
Leverage Power Apps portal that is easy for customers and staff to use
The solution required technical depth to integrate several moving pieces into a portal that was both easy for individual customers to use and for the nonprofit to manage.
Root16 decided to use a Microsoft Power Apps portal in conjunction with D365 Customer Engagement to address the non-profits’ needs.
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Coordinated more effectively with different energy providers
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Facilitated the application process, allowing participants to submit an application with their most recent utility bill to automatically see if they qualified for the program
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Generated customer disclosure forms once a participant was verified, enabling them to sign and submit using Smart Agreement, with all signed forms saved to SharePoint
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Allowed participants to review their application and bills and provided visibility into previous payments
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Accepted bill payment through an integration with PaySimple and enabled autopay setup
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Automatically created customer service cases based on email and phone messages, connecting customer services cases to individual customers within the portal.
THE IMPACT
Saving significant time and money while delivering more effective customer service
In just six months, Root16 exceeded project goals and undercut the cost of competitors. The new customer portal was more secure, allowed customers to self-service routine needs, and made customer service more responsive and impactful. By streamlining and automating registration and bill-pay, the system became largely self-sufficient.
Automation at the customer service desk allowed staff members to resolve cases 20 to 30% faster and provide quicker responses. With over 2,000 active customers, the nonprofit is now better equipped to expand access to green energy across the United States. Functional, scalable systems like the one Root16 built make it easier for low‑income households to participate in more affordable and sustainable energy solutions.