A preview of AboitizPower’s smartphone application called MobileAP that enables clients to view and monitor their transactions and power consumption
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Under the new normal, a rush to shift to a more digital-dominated lifestyle erupted.
From food and grocery shopping to organizing finances, people are slowly adapting and incorporating modern technology in their day-to-day activities amid prevailing mobility restrictions.
Riding with this mega-trend is AboitizPower’s new smartphone application that enables its clients to monitor their electric consumption, and request for their latest bill at the touch of a button.
Called MobileAP, the software was recently rolled out to address continued demand for convenience and transparency, coupled with the fact that the majority of Filipinos are now staying or working within the confines of their own homes.
“This will hopefully lessen inquiries on billing since a bulk of the calls coming in at the call center are queries about those,” Raymund Banaag, Aboitiz Power Distribution Utility Information Technology & Systems Group (APDU ITSG) Solution Specialist, was quoted on saying.
The app is valid for all clients of AboitizPower subsidiares namely Visayan Electric Company (VECO), Davao Light Power Corp. (DLPC), Cotabato Light Power Corp. (CLPC), Subic Enerzone, Mactan Enerzone and/or Balamban Enerzone.
According to AboitizPower, the MobileAP project started in 2015, and its launching will be implemented through two phases.
Banaag said the first phase, which is already up and running online, involved bill payments among consumers.
The second one, he said, will unveil more features such as power outage schedules, contacting distribution utility, calculating appliance consumption, providing energy-saving tips, to name some.
To access the application, consumers will have to register by providing the same information they used for paying their electricity bills. A system-generated code will then be sent to the registered e-mail address to confirm their identity and account.
First-timers in the digital realm are also given the option for a virtual walkthrough so that they can properly navigate the software.
Limitations
But like most brand-new applications, there are still several limitations in MobileAP. These included how transactions, particularly bills payment, are reflected after they are officially processed.
“(MobileAP) does push consumption to the app real-time… For payment posting, the collecting agent’s or service center’s payment posting schedule applies. Some post within 24 hours, some post after five days. It is not real-time,” read portions of the application’s description.
It also informed clients that while contents of both the printed and digital versions of their bills will remain the same, their layout and presentation style, however, will differ due to ‘limited panel display on phones’.
Innovation now forms part of the new normal’s core, and MobileAP of AboitizPower is on track in utilizing it to address their clients’ concerns and demands.
While operations of its first stages are still limited to several aspects only, MobileAP is a promising tool that suggests a future wherein power consumption and monitoring are made more transparent and convenient./dbs
