The Encounter:

We had the opportunity to meet Jacqueline, Vice President of Operations of Tomorrow’s Utilities, during 2019 and 2020 when she was investigating the use of a workflow automation solution. Tomorrow’s Utilities was working in Excel and knew that as they grew, further growth was being strained by wasted time. In February 2021, Jacqueline realized now was the time to move beyond the use of just Excel and take their workflow online to a platform that could offer efficiency and automated reporting. She knew it was time to choose the right vendor to allow their business to grow, and that decision needed to be made fast.

As Jacqueline investigated MANY different options and compared them to Sparkplug, whom she had looked at multiple times over the years, one key element that she found was that price can sometimes be misleading. Jacqueline states “The only real intriguing part about some of the other options was their price point. However, their base pricing did not include commission reconciliation.”

Jacqueline later added that the other vendor said, “this feature would be available at a later date but there would be an additional charge.” The ability to have automated commission reconciliation was one of the driving factors in needing a system. As Jacqueline had seen  demonstrations of Sparkplug over 3 years, she was amazed at the growth in the feature set. She went on to say, “Unlike the other software programs I saw, the Sparkplug development team has continued to deploy new features every month to keep up with our ever-changing industry.”

“A big deciding factor for Tomorrow’s Utilities was that Sparkplug is very well established in the United States and within the utility industry. Sparkplug has a great reputation and presence with TEPA. I was concerned, would other companies be there for the long haul? After doing exhaustive research over the years, Tomorrow’s Utilities is confident in our decision to select Sparkplug and believe that is it worth the investment.” Regarding cost, Jacqueline said “We liked how Sparkplug pricing has held fairly constant over time. If other companies discounted their services for the initial term to get the deal, I know the rate would continue to increase to the point of being comparable, if not more.”

So, while Sparkplug was the more expensive option compared to other software programs – it was clear that Sparkplug was the right choice for Tomorrow’s Utilities. “We want to be partners with leaders and forward thinkers within the industry. Tomorrow’s Utilities is consistently looking to grow our client business, continue industry education for employees and be at the forefront of new product offerings; therefore, we want to partner with suppliers and vendors with the same mindset.”

The Success:

After successful negotiations and a closing deal with Tomorrow’s Utilities, our Sales Team reached out to Jacqueline to follow up and ensure they were receiving the best possible customer service. Here is what Jacqueline had to say regarding Sparkplug’s onboarding and Customer Success team:

“The Onboarding paperwork was great because it gave you the chance to look at your way of doing business and ways you could improve your process and service. Our Customer Success Rep from Enerex, Lacey Price, has been amazing. She worked around our schedule to get the training completed and always responds to our questions in a timely fashion. We love working with her.”

The team at Tomorrow’s Utilities, like many other customers, agree that the User Interface is one of the top aspects of Sparkplug. It’s ease of navigation backed by a Customer Success team that is dedicated to serving the customers goes unmatched.

Jacqueline’s advice to those who have an interest in Sparkplug is to “Make the long-term commitment, come to terms with it, don’t undervalue the cost of your own personal time. As an already established and constantly improving software, Sparkplug leads the retail energy industry, and the choice is clear…there is no better partner than Sparkplug. Enerex’s proven success speaks volumes to who they are as a company and their continued success and growth will equate to your company’s success in the future as well.”

About Tomorrow’s Utilities:

As a family-owned and operated business with a combined 60 plus years in the energy and service industry, Tomorrow’s Utilities is a full-service energy management and consulting firm. They offer clients an all-inclusive approach to energy procurement, efficiency projects and usage management with the mission to understand the energy needs of their clients and design a program that enhances the client’s sustainability and maximizes their savings. When it comes to lowering energy costs and business efficiency, let Tomorrow’s Utilities be your advisor.