10-02-07 - UI Wins International Award for Best Revenue Assurance Initiative

NEWS RELEASE

October 2, 2007

Media Contact: Anita Steeves 203-499-2901

After Hours: 203-499-2812

UI Wins International Award for the Best Revenue

Assurance Initiative

The United Illuminating Company (UI) was honored at Autovation 2007: The AMRA International Symposium on Oct. 1, 2007 in Reno, Nevada. UI’s entry into the UPN (Utility Planning Network) 2007 Metering Awards Program was chosen as the winner of the Revenue Assurance Initiative category.  Entries into the program came from utilities all around the world; including Europe, South America, Australia, the United States and Canada.

"Getting this award is a significant honor for UI, especially when we’re being recognized by an international panel of utility professionals,” said Joseph Thomas, vice president of client fulfillment. “Across the globe there are few utilities that have the ‘smart’ systems we have at UI.  Our system is flexible and adaptable, thus enabling us to provide first class customer service and maximize the efficiency of our operations.”

Beginning in 2000, UI installed a number of systems and software to support improvements to its metering and customer service programs. UI employed a Cellnet+Hunt fixed-network metering system and a new billing system from SAP.  It also installed Oracle, a mobile workforce management system that allows the company to dispatch work through a wireless network directly to the field staff; and Nexus Energy Prism Web solution, that enables customers to access robust metering and account information through the new service, My Account, on UI’s Web site www.uinet.com.

Additionally, UI instituted a comprehensive program for field staff and customer service representative training, customer education, and media outreach to complement these new systems.

"This technology supports UI’s ability to utilize meaningful data to provide quality customer service, assist customers in making informed decisions about energy use, improve our business processes and meet the changing regulatory and market conditions,” said Mr. Thomas.

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Founded in 1993, the (UPN) Utility Planning Network (formerly Energy Planning Network) began as an exciting peer group which networks professionals who manage energy decisions in large commercial/industrial corporations.

AMRA is a nonprofit association providing utilities information about innovative technologies that lead to improved operations, customer service and resource utilization. Its membership represents more than 800 international utilities and corporations in gas, water and electric industries. AMRA members develop and implement automated resource-management technologies as well as participate in standardization and regulatory activities.

The United Illuminating Company (UI) is a New Haven-based regional distribution utility established in 1899. UI is engaged in the purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity and related services to more than 320,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in the Greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas. UI’s World Wide Web address is http://www.uinet.com/. UI’s parent company, UIL Holdings Corporation, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol UIL.