Amerens Online Account Access Program Passes 100,000 Customer Mark

First implemented in February 2003, eCustomer gives 2.2 million of Amerens Missouri and Illinois customers the ability to get billing and usage history information, make payments, establish payment options, turn service on or off, enroll in special programs and much more -- all with the click of a mouse. The secure Web site is accessible through Amerens home page. AmerenIPs one million customers have access to a similar service, also accessible through Amerens Web site. The two systems will be merged in fall 2005. In its first two months, 10,000 customers signed up for eCustomer, the number originally projected for the first full year. By March 2004, about 50,000 customers had enrolled, five times the number expected. One popular feature has been the ability to turn on and turn off service online. Since Amerens online programs were consolidated and expanded with the eCustomer program, the number of online request to start or discontinue service have gone from under 100 in the year 2000, to more than 4,300 in 2003. Amerens eCustomer program has been improved and expanded since 2003 to meet changing customer needs. In 2003, the company put in place the Energy Savings Toolkit. Featured prominently in Chartwells Best Practices for Utilities and Energy Companies, the toolkit allows AmerenUEs Missouri customers to conduct a full online energy audit, calculate the savings potential of energy efficient appliances analyze bill variances, and much more. Illinois customers currently access a different version of the toolkit that provides access to energy savings tips, in addition to the other features of the eCustomer site. On the drawing board for future releases is electronic bill presentment and payment -- the ability to get and pay your bill over the Internet, instead of by mail. The eCustomer options are free, but registration is required. You will need an Ameren bill to provide your full name, exactly as it appears on the bill, and your account number. In the registration process, you will choose a User ID and Password to ensure that only you can access your account data. You will need this User ID and Password each time you log on to eCustomer. Through its operating companies, St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation serves 2.3 million electric customers and 925,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area of Missouri and Illinois.