The energy and utilities sector is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in its history. Climate mandates, the rise of distributed energy resources, shifting consumer expectations, and the push for digital self-service have forced energy retailers and utility providers to rethink how they engage with customers.
Salesforce Energy & Utilities Cloud (E&U Cloud) is designed to lead this transformation. By combining industry-specific data models, AI-driven insights, and omnichannel digital experiences, it helps utilities deliver reliable, transparent, and customer-centric services in an increasingly complex landscape.
A Unified Data Foundation for the Utility Industry
Energy & Utilities Cloud is built on a specialized data model that supports the unique needs of electricity, gas, water, and renewable service providers. The model includes structured objects for:
- Premises, service points, meters, and meter assets
- Tariffs, rate plans, usage types, and billing accounts
- Outage events and restoration details
- Retail products, subscriptions, and contracts
- Customer account relationships, households, and property owners
By starting with a common, industry-aligned architecture, utilities can focus on experience design and operational automation rather than building foundational models from scratch. This unified data layer also makes it easier to integrate with external systems such as CIS, AMI, billing engines, and network monitoring tools.
Transforming the Customer Experience Across All Channels
Modern customers expect to manage their energy usage just like they manage any digital service: easily, instantly, and across any device. Energy & Utilities Cloud enables this through rich omnichannel capabilities.
Contact Center Empowerment
Agents can see customer profiles, billing history, consumption patterns, active meter issues, and payment status all in one place. AI prompts can recommend actions such as payment arrangements, new tariffs, or energy-saving programs.
Digital Self-Service
Customers can:
- View their monthly consumption
- Submit meter readings
- Track outage updates
- Access energy-saving insights
- Change plans or update payment methods
- Request new connections or disconnections
This reduces call center load and gives customers more control.
Field Operations Support
Field technicians can access job details, meter configurations, and safety guidelines through mobile apps. Work orders, service appointments, and outage tasks sync in real time, ensuring quick and safe resolutions.
Intelligent Metering and Usage Insights
The shift toward smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) has created massive volumes of data. Energy & Utilities Cloud uses this data to provide:
- Consumption trends and seasonal forecasting
- High-usage alerts and anomaly detection
- Estimated bills and usage comparisons
- Personalised efficiency recommendations
These insights not only empower customers but also help utilities manage peak demand and reduce service costs.
Streamlined Case Management and Service Requests
Utility providers often manage a wide range of customer cases—from billing corrections to new service requests and field orders.
E&U Cloud simplifies this through automated workflows that:
- Route cases based on issue type, location, and priority
- Trigger field tasks for meter replacement or inspection
- Integrate with billing systems for corrections
- Consolidate updates into the customer’s communication channel of choice
This reduces resolution time and improves transparency for customers.
Outage Management and Real-Time Visibility
Power and water outages significantly impact customer trust. Energy & Utilities Cloud provides a strong foundation for outage communication:
- Customers can report outages through online portals or mobile apps.
- Incident teams can view affected regions, impacted meters, and restoration progress.
- Automated notifications keep customers updated at each stage.
While the platform does not replace a full Outage Management System (OMS), it integrates with OMS tools to deliver accurate customer-facing communications.
Managing Distributed Energy Resources and Sustainability Programs
The growth of rooftop solar, battery storage, electric vehicles, and community energy programs has brought new complexity. E&U Cloud supports distributed energy resource (DER) workflows by:
- Tracking equipment, approvals, and interconnection processes
- Streamlining program enrollment for solar rebates, EV incentives, or energy audits
- Providing customers with visibility into production, savings, and compliance milestones
As utilities transition to cleaner energy models, these workflows help maintain transparency and regulatory compliance.
Contract, Billing, and Rate Plan Flexibility for Retail Energy Providers
For competitive energy markets, retailers need agility in managing:
- Flexible pricing plans
- Time-of-use rates
- Renewable energy products
- Bundled offers (solar + battery + EV charging)
Energy & Utilities Cloud enables sales teams to configure plans, assess eligibility, and generate customer agreements. When integrated with billing platforms, it supports seamless account setup and fulfillment.
AI and Automation for Smarter Utility Operations
AI plays a growing role in shaping utility operations. Energy & Utilities Cloud supports:
- Predictive churn detection
- AI-assisted case classification
- Recommendation engines for optimal plans
- Digital guidance for troubleshooting
- Automated demand-response notifications
These tools help utilities serve customers more proactively while improving operational efficiency.
Integration Across the Utility Technology Landscape
Utility providers operate a wide range of systems—AMI platforms, billing engines, GIS tools, workforce management systems, SCADA, and more. Energy & Utilities Cloud connects to these systems through:
- API integrations
- MuleSoft connectivity
- Event-driven data synchronization
- Batch data imports for large meter sets
This ensures every stakeholder, from customer service to field teams, has the latest information.
Conclusion
Salesforce Energy & Utilities Cloud is more than a CRM—it is a digital transformation engine for modern utility providers. By unifying customer data, enabling real-time communication, supporting advanced metering, and delivering powerful AI-driven insights, it helps organizations adapt to the rapidly changing energy landscape.
Whether a provider is expanding renewable programs, managing millions of smart devices, or improving customer satisfaction, Energy & Utilities Cloud offers the tools to innovate, scale, and create trusted digital experiences.
Have any questions? Feel free to drop an email to support@astreait.com or visit astreait.com to schedule a consultation.