Customer case stories 01.04.2025

Enhanced customer service with Aidon One’s fault notifications

In spring 2024, the Finnish Vantaa Energy Electricity Networks introduced SMS notifications to inform customers about blown fuses and zero faults. The fault notification service is based on information obtained from smart meters and it was implemented by utilising the customer communication features of the Aidon One application. Automation-based communication has proven to be an effortless way to streamline fault repair and enhance customer satisfaction.

Arto Flink, Field Service Manager at Vantaa Energy Electricity Networks, says that the company aims to utilise the investments made in the systems and the information obtained from them as effectively and purposefully as possible. Fault messages sent to customers are a great example of this. The company has been using the Aidon One application for many years, for example in management of field work. Last spring, Aidon One’s customer communication features and fault notifications were activated. During the implementation, it was determined in which cases notifications would be sent to customers about alarms from the meters. Text messages are sent to the phone number of the customer associated with the metering point. The phone numbers are imported daily from the customer information system.

Clear and simple instructions

The messages have proven to be very useful in fault management. In the blown fuse notification, the customer is instructed to check the main fuse and, if necessary, to contact the grid company’s fault service, which can help with fuse replacement, and even send an on-call technician. In January this year, an estimated one hundred blown fuse notifications were sent, with one of the most common causes being the charging of electric cars, which overloads the main fuse.

Zero fault alarms, on the other hand, enable a quick response to urgent fault situations. When a zero fault occurs, the electricity is automatically cut off at the metering point to ensure personal safety and prevent damage to the property, and at the same time, an SMS is sent to the customer about the reason for the outage. Also the control centre is alerted about the fault, and an installer always goes to the scene. Zero faults occur rarely, a few times a year.

According to Arto Flink, text messages reach customers well. They have helped customers prepare for the arrival of an electrician and accelerated the investigation of fault situations. It is important to keep the number of notifications reasonable so that the attention value of the messages remains high.

Developing Aidon One in cooperation with our customers

As a further development project, Arto Flink mentions proactive communication, for example, in cases where there are repeated, prolonged current value overruns in the metering point. In this case, a notification would be sent to the customer with a recommendation to balance the loads with the help of a professional electrician, or by changing their own consumption habits over time. An alternative would also be to upgrade the electricity contract for higher usage levels. The aim is to ensure electrical safety in advance and to minimise any damage caused by overload. At the same time, customer satisfaction is improved.

“At Aidon, we listen carefully to our customers’ wishes for new features. Alarm communication is an excellent example of this. We want to continue to operate in the same way: to listen to our customers, utilise our technical expertise and develop solutions that meet our customers’ needs even better,” says Riku Lassila, Product Manager of Aidon One.