A municipal electric utility's owners and customers are the same people; therefore, the primary objective of a municipal electric system is to maximize its value to these consumer-owners.   One of the ways to cost effectively maximize the value to commercial and industrial customers is through a key account, business retention & expansion program.   Generally, key accounts are defined to be the 5 percent of customers who provide 50 percent of a utility’s revenue.   

A key account business retention & expansion program is designed to; enhance the level of communications with and the services delivered to very important commercial and industrial customers.  By doing so, a municipal electric utility can provide business retention & expansion services that assist strategic customers in remaining competitive within their respective industries, while conducting primary research on key account customer relations which often leads to better opportunities to retain business.

As a community's energy lifeline, key account customers of a municipal electric utility count on the public power utility to provide them with energy related education, services and tools that improve their ability to operate more efficiently and with limited interruption. AMP-Ohio's “Direct Connections” key accounts program was created to assist the municipal electric utility in obtaining the information, education, tools and services they may need to develop or enhance their own successful key accounts program.

Through Direct Connections, members have access to professionally trained key account representative contract labor and/or specialized training for municipal employees using LAMP®, (Miller Heiman’s Large Account Management Process) which helps organizations develop strategies to protect and grow their key accounts.    In addition to key account representative labor and training, Direct Connections can provide members the following cost effective services: 

• Business retention & expansion (Synchronist®) surveys
• Energy efficiency education and training
• Comprehensive energy audits and industrial assessments
• Electric load monitoring
• Compressed air, gas or steam leak detection
• Energy use & cost tracking
• Internet based electric meter load monitoring
• Power quality investigations
• Infrared inspections
• Periodic communications & research (Questline®)
• Customized “Direct Connections” branded promotion materials

The Direct Connections, key accounts program creates a sustainable forum for regular dialogue between a municipal electric utility and its largest consumer-owners, enabling the utility to better serve their specific energy related needs. It also strengthens the local economy, demonstrating the municipal electric utility's commitment to all customers.  By partnering with key accounts, the municipal electric utility cost effectively improves demand side management and energy efficiency efforts, resulting in improved energy utilization and energy cost savings for both you and your customers.

For more information on Direct Connections, please phone Bob DeWitt, Director, Business Development Services, at 614/337-6222 or send e-mail to bdewitt@amp-ohio.org.