Umeme improves customer experience with new online portal

March 19, 2021 in Business, Companies, Energy, Infrastructure, Investment by Editor

Nsubuga said their customers can now apply for an electricity connection at their convenience using any internet – enabled device anytime anywhere without visiting Umeme offices.

Umeme Limited, the listed electricity distributor, has improved customer experience by introducing an online application portal in line with the current public health precautions associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dubbed myumemeonline , it will enable customers to apply from anywhere, at any time on either a computer, a tab, a laptop or the iPad.

Umeme Managing Director, Selestino Babungi said during the past decade and half, the company has contributed significantly towards the improvement in power distribution and Uganda’s electricity sector as a whole.

He said, “We introduced pre-payment billing (Yaka) and as we speak 97% of our customers are on the Yaka prepaid metering. We also established a 24/7 contact centre to deal with customers’ challenges. We have now automated the customer application process which allows customers to be served digitally without going through the trouble of coming to our offices.”

Officially launching  the portal recently, the State Minister for Energy, Simon D’Ujanga encouraged the general public to embrace the new platform, because it is user-friendly, cheaper and more efficient than the previous procedures.

“This timely innovation by Umeme will complement Government’s efforts in improving service delivery in the energy sector. I thank Umeme for championing this initiative. We expect a further increase in the number of applications with the launch of this portal,” D’Ujanga said.

He said the government has adopted a strategy to build cheaper power generation plants in order to lower the tariffs which are a function of increased consumption.

Babungi said, “The network has more than doubled. At the start of this company, we were operating 5,000 transformers, now we have more than 14,000 transformers operating. The number of substations has moved from 49 to 60 plus nine switching stations. The sector has continued to grow and become more commercially viable. We have improved efficiencies at customer touch-points by continuously innovating to eliminate congestion at the offices and through use of technology and going cashless so our customers can pay us 24/7.

Florence Nsubuga, Umeme’s Chief Operations Officer, said the company has 46 offices countrywide. “Our aim is to improve the customer experience. That is what technology is here for, giving you the power in your hands to control everything that you do as far as interfacing with Umeme is concerned,”  she said.

Nsubuga said Umeme continues to improve the customer experience by introduction of self-service options through our digital self-help channels.

“Therefore, in a bid to further boost the customer experience Umeme has introduced an Online New Connection Application portal which is an online portal that will enable our customers apply for an electricity connection at their convenience using any internet – enabled device anytime anywhere without visiting the Umeme offices.”

Julius Wandera, the Director Public and Consumer Affairs at the Electricity Regulatory Authority reiterated the regulator’s commitment to support innovations in the energy sector. Umeme has increased the number of customers to 1.6 million from 350,000 in 2005.