CU to roll out new digital platform

City Utilities of Springfield is moving toward a more "sophisticated and versatile" digital platform, a spokesperson said.

CU's Joel Alexander said the platform, developed by Irvine, California-based Smart Energy Water, came in response to customer feedback. It will feature an app and online portal for customers to pay bills, manage their account and see outage information, according to a news release.

“Ultimately, our goal is to lead the utility industry in customer service and satisfaction,” said Brent Baker, CU's associate general manager of customer operations and communications, in the release. “Our formal evaluation and selection process revealed that the flexibility and reliability of the SEW platform will allow us to improve our brand and our trust relationship with the customer base we are here to serve.”

The platform is slated for delivery to customers this year, though a specific date was not provided in the release.

CU General Manager Gary Gibson last year said the platform in partnership with SEW would cost $2.7 million, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

CU has 116,000 electric, 84,000 natural gas and 83,000 water customers in its service area, according to the release.