Exceleron Software’s (ESI) prepaid alternative sparked much interest and discussion among General Managers and CEOs attending an annual meeting of Oklahoma’s electric cooperatives. Opening with the general benefits of a prepaid alternative, Craig Hutson, Exceleron Software’s CTO, presented ESI’s software based solution as a viable means for achieving reduced collectibles, decreased disconnections, increased customer satisfaction and more extensive consumer education regarding consumption.

A portion of Mr. Hutson’s presentation focused on the primary differences between ESI’s solution compared to those currently on the market which involve expensive in-home terminals and payment kiosks. Conversely, ESI’s solution requires only that participating cooperatives have AMR meters on their prepaid accounts. Limited requirements on the part of the co-ops proved to be one of the primary selling points of ESI’s platform.

Max Meek, General Manager of Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (OEC), shared OEC’s positive experience since going into a production environment this past July. "The member service department was very excited about the opportunity to begin offering prepaid to the members and they believe that it will be well received by many members who currently struggle to pay their bill on time each month,” said Meek. He added, “Exceleron has delivered an excellent alternative solution that eliminated most of our concerns surrounding prepaid."

Director of Sales, Bob Finley, added, “This was the perfect venue for ESI to showcase its product and the timing could not have been better due to the high temperatures and associated cost of electricity resulting in many disconnections. Our solution offers a viable means of assistance to persons having difficulty paying their large bill resulting from increased consumption.” Both Finley and Hutson expect similar receptions from other audiences due to the unique solution being offered by ESI and welcome invitations to discuss both the prepaid environment and ESI’s specific solution.