MLGW's residential customers can now log in to the utility's website to determine the factors that have caused their monthly bill to increase or decrease. The new Bill Analysis application enables customers to explore the reasons behind monthly billing fluctuations - such as temperature, usage, billing period, service fees, home improvements and other factors.

Bill Analysis is the newest feature in MLGW's suite of home energy tools which also includes applications to conduct an energy audit, determine appliance operating cost, identify energy savings from replacing older equipment with more efficient models, and access to extensive information on home improvements. The residential applications are now interfaced and accessible through tabs on MLGW�s new My Bill �dashboard�. By creating an online profile, using the new My Account link at www.mlgw.com, each household's utility information is pulled into the application automatically, presenting a general overview of the account as of the current bill date, plus bill highlights, bill history, applicable rates and other details.

Responding to customers' requests for enhanced online options, MLGW has worked aggressively for the last two years to develop a series of new electronic billing and information services. The new My Bill dashboard and Bill Analysis services are the first step in a 2007 initiative that ultimately will yield full-scale electronic billing and new bill payment options for all customers.

"We're excited to offer our customers a comprehensive package of tools," said Chris Bieber, MLGW's Vice President of Customer Care. "The My Bill dashboard assembles many existing tools, plus innovative new services, into one location for residential customers. The dashboard provides billing information in a format that enables customers to see the value of their energy dollars, not just the amount due. "

�Previously,� Bieber continued, �Customers only had access to the breakdown and summation of their utility costs as noted on their monthly bills. But since the implementation of the My Bill dashboard and Bill Analysis tool, customers are now able to see how much of that cost was attributed to air conditioning, water heating, refrigeration and other end uses, as well as reasons for the monthly fluctuations in their bills. Now, if you get a bill that you think is too high, you can go to the My Bill dashboard and see the cause of the increase. For instance, if the weather has been hotter than normal, the Bill Analyzer will show you the impact that the hot weather has had on your bill. If the hot weather information provides a satisfactory explanation for your high bill, you can spare yourself the time needed to call MLGW for this information.�

Bill Analysis offers two comparison views: current bill-to-previous bill or current bill-to-previous year bill. Comparing current bill to previous bill explains some variation, but the previous year comparison is the most effective, accurate view as it encompasses seasonal changes that impact energy usage. Changes in cost�whether MLGW rates, purchased gas adjustment, TVA fuel cost adjustment, sewer fees, storm water fees or other charges�also are shown, as are past due balances, late fees and adjustments. Any line item that appears on your MLGW bill also appears in Bill Analysis.

By comparing to a previous bill, or the previous year�s bill, users can see whether energy consumption is up or down. Other features then help users investigate the change which may be caused by equipment replacement, a room addition, or that week-long visit from your out-of-town relatives. Users can view, graph and download historic utility details in the Bill History section. MLGW believes customers will learn more about their energy usage from the tool and then make changes to control consumption in the future.

The My Bill dashboard and Bill Analysis include at least 13 months of billing information, which will expand to 24 months of data for long-term comparisons.

Details of My Bill dashboard and Bill Analysis
 

• To access the applications, customers must establish a My Account profile by creating a username and password. Then, customers associate their MLGW account(s) with the My Account profile, providing secure access to their utility information (An account must have at least two months of billing for energy consumption in order to be accessible in the application.)
   
• Once the online profile is established, customers can access the My Bill dashboard, which features five tabs customers can select to view their billing information and analyze their home energy consumption:
  -�My Bill� tab � serves as the main �dashboard� for residential customers to learn about their energy use. It displays the customer�s account status as of the current bill date; compares the current bill to the previous bill to highlight changes based on weather, billing days, usage and costs; provides bill history and graphs; offers breakdown of how the home uses energy and much more.
  -�My Home� tab � provides customers an opportunity to provide a home profile, appliance profile and other details, to further refine accuracy of the results based on their home profile.
  -�Find ways to save� tab � offers a short questionnaire for customers to provide specific details about the home�s construction, equipment type and maintenance, and appliance usage to improve the accuracy of recommendations for weatherization, heating, cooling, lighting and more.
  -�Improve my home� tab � features calculators which provide a more detailed look at appliance and equipment operating costs. For instance, the customer can determine the energy savings resulting from installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, replacing the cooling system, or buying a new refrigerator.
  -�Learn about energy� tab � enables the customer to learn more about energy and conservation with Energy Smart University, an online resources for middle school students and educators, and Energy Smart Library for Homes, an encyclopedia of information on home improvements.
   
• The My Bill dashboard is available only for residential customers at this time. A similar service for commercial, industrial and institutional customers will be evaluated next year. Non-residential customers currently have access to several web tools, including: Business eValuation, Business Energy Advisor and Meter Intelligence.
   
• The My Bill dashboard and Bill Analysis applications are powered by Nexus Energy Software, an application service provider that offers consumer energy information solutions to utilities across North America. Other utilities that have launched the application include: Avista, Citizen's Gas, Idaho Power, Kansas City Power & Light, Northwest Natural Gas, Pacific Gas & Electric, United Illuminating, PEPCO, Philadelphia Gas Works, PPL Electric, Puget Sound Energy, SMUD, WE Energies, Wisconsin Public Service and Vectren.
  
  MLGW is the largest three-service public power utility in the nation, serving more than 420,000 customers in Memphis and Shelby County with some of the lowest combined rates in the U.S.
   
• My Account Dashboard Video
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  A short video presentation of MLGW.com's new "MY ACCOUNT" dashboard where you can compare and analyze your MLGW bill.