Usage & Consumption Smart Overview

1. Problem Statement

Core Problem: Residential utility customers lack visibility into their consumption patterns across multiple utility services (electricity, water, gas), cannot effectively monitor their usage against thresholds, compare historical bills to understand trends, or access energy/water conservation tips to reduce costs.

User Roles:

Primary: Residential Customer (Homeowner/Renter managing household utilities)

Pain Points:

No unified consumption visibility: Cannot see real-time or historical consumption data for electricity, water, and gas in one place
Lack of proactive monitoring: No way to set consumption thresholds or receive alerts when usage exceeds normal limits
Limited bill comparison capabilities: Cannot compare current bills with historical data to identify trends or anomalies
No access to conservation guidance: Missing actionable tips and recommendations to reduce utility costs and consumption
Reactive bill management: Only discover high usage when the bill arrives, with no early warning system

2. Who Are the Users Facing the Problem?

Residential Customer: Homeowners, renters, and household bill managers responsible for monitoring and managing utility costs. These users need access to comprehensive consumption data and tools to help reduce their utility expenses.

User Access: All authenticated residential customers with active utility accounts.

3. Jobs To Be Done

For Residential Customer: When I need to understand my household's utility consumption patterns across electricity, water, and gas services, But I currently have no unified view of my usage data and cannot proactively monitor consumption against set limits, Help me access real-time consumption dashboards with customizable threshold alerts and comprehensive historical data analysis, So that I can make informed decisions about my energy and water usage, reduce costs, and avoid bill shock.

For Residential Customer: When I need to compare my current utility bills with previous months to understand consumption trends and identify unusual spikes, But I can only see individual bills without comparison tools or trend analysis, Help me access an interactive bill comparison feature that shows historical data for up to 12 billing periods with visual trend analysis, So that I can identify patterns, validate billing accuracy, and understand seasonal variations in my utility usage.

For Residential Customer: When I need actionable advice to reduce my utility consumption and lower my monthly bills, But I have no access to personalized conservation tips or energy-saving recommendations, Help me access a comprehensive tips library with utility-specific conservation strategies and estimated savings calculations, So that I can implement cost-effective measures to reduce my household's environmental footprint and utility expenses.

4. Solution

The Consumer Self-Service Portal will provide a comprehensive utility management platform that empowers residential customers with consumption visibility, proactive monitoring, historical analysis, and conservation guidance.

Key Capability Areas:

Real-Time Consumption Monitoring

Multi-utility dashboard displaying current consumption for electricity (kWh), water (liters), and gas (therms)
Live consumption percentages against user-defined monthly limits
Color-coded visual indicators (green, yellow, red) for consumption status

Customizable Threshold Management

User-configurable consumption limits for each utility service
Automated threshold alert system with percentage-based warnings
Historical threshold performance tracking and adjustment recommendations

Historical Usage Analytics

Monthly consumption trend charts with up to 12 months of data
Year-over-year comparison capabilities with seasonal adjustment factors
Usage pattern analysis with peak consumption identification

Interactive Bill Comparison

Side-by-side comparison of current and historical bills
Percentage change calculations with clear increase/decrease indicators
Period-over-period cost analysis with breakdown by utility type

Cost Analysis and Forecasting

Monthly cost breakdown charts by utility service
Projected monthly costs based on current consumption trends
Budget variance analysis with overage/savings identification

Conservation Tips and Recommendations

Categorized energy-saving tips by utility type (electricity, water, gas)
Detailed implementation guides with estimated savings calculations
Seasonal conservation strategies with weather-based recommendations

Smart Notifications and Alerts

Proactive threshold breach notifications via email/SMS
Bill comparison alerts for unusual consumption patterns
Monthly conservation tip recommendations based on usage data

5. Major Steps Involved

Residential Customer - Consumption Dashboard Flow:

Login to consumer portal using account credentials
Navigate to "Usage & Consumption" section from main menu
View consumption threshold dashboard showing current usage percentages
Review color-coded status indicators for each utility service
Click "Configure" to set or modify consumption thresholds
Set monthly limits for electricity, water, and gas consumption
Enable/disable threshold alert notifications
Save threshold settings and return to dashboard
Monitor usage trends chart showing 6-month consumption patterns
Review cost analysis section for monthly expense breakdown
Download consumption reports for personal record-keeping

Residential Customer - Bill Comparison Flow:

Access "Usage & Consumption" main section
Click on "Comparison" tab in the navigation bar
Select utility type from dropdown (Total Bill, Electricity, Water, Gas)
Choose comparison period (Last 6 Bills is default, can select up to 12)
Toggle between "Chart" and "Table" view for data visualization
Review current period metrics (amount, percentage change, average)
Analyze trend indicator (increasing/decreasing usage pattern)
Examine total comparison line chart showing consumption over time
Review bill analysis panel with highest/lowest usage months
Read analysis summary explaining usage patterns and changes
Export comparison data for external analysis or record-keeping

Residential Customer - Conservation Tips Flow:

Navigate to conservation tips section via main menu or dashboard link
Browse tips by utility category (Electricity, Water, Gas tabs)
Review tip cards with conservation strategy summaries
Click "Learn More" on interesting conservation strategies
Read detailed implementation information and savings estimates
Bookmark helpful tips for future reference
Rate tip usefulness and provide feedback
Share conservation tips with household members via social links
Return to tips overview to explore additional categories
Access seasonal conservation recommendations based on current period

6. Flow Diagram

7. Business Rules

General Rules:

System must display consumption data for all active utility services on customer account
Historical data availability limited to last 12 billing periods
Threshold settings apply to monthly consumption limits only
Cost calculations based on current rate schedules in billing system

Threshold Management Rules:

Threshold modifications take effect immediately upon saving

Conservation Tips Rules:

Tips filtered by applicable utility services on customer account
Tip ratings and feedback anonymous and aggregated for system improvement
on clicking on helpfull button marks the tip helpfull
the tips related data will come form the CIS - self service - tips section
clicking on the learn more , the user is directed to the below open detail tip section

Usage Trends graph

shows the consumption of the utility service for the last 6 months
can apply the filter for utility service wise
the graph scale should be adjust by the hight consumption among the 6 months

Comparison tab

current bill - display the current bill amount
period change - display the period change from the last bill - (current bill amount / last bill amount) * 100
Average - calculate the average for the last 6 bills - total amount of the bills/ 6
trend - disply the trend is increasing and trending is upward, if period change is in positive percentage, if period change is in negative then show decreasing and trending is downward

Total comparision

display the graph as per the selected bills - 3, 6 or 12
display that many bills data that is selected

Bill Analysis

Highest usage - display the bill period and the amount
lowest usage - display the bill period and the amount
the higest and lowest will be shown on the basis of selected bill filter - 3,6,12

Available data

display the number of bills available - dont show more that last 12 bills
display the last 12 bills total period
display historical data beyond 12 bills is not stored (hard core)

8. Sample Data

Consumption Threshold Data:

Electricity: Current 420 kWh, Limit 400 kWh (105% - Red Alert)

Water: Current 19,000 L, Limit 20,000 L (95% - Yellow Warning)

Gas: Current 35 therms, Limit 50 therms (70% - Green Normal)

Bill Comparison Sample:

Current Period: ₹445 (May 2025)

Period Change: -48.6% vs Dec 2024

Average Over 6 Bills: ₹673

Trend: Decreasing usage trending downward

Highest Usage: Dec 2024 (₹865)

Lowest Usage: May 2025 (₹445)

Conservation Tips Sample:

Electricity Tips:

- Switch to LED Lighting: Save up to 80% on lighting energy costs

- Optimize Thermostat Settings: Set to 68°F in winter, 78°F in summer

- Unplug Electronics When Not in Use: Reduce phantom power consumption

Water Tips:

- Fix Leaky Faucets: Save up to 10% on water bills

- Install Low-Flow Showerheads: Reduce water usage by 30%

- Use Full Dishwasher Loads: Optimize water efficiency per wash cycle

9. Acceptance Criteria

The system must display real-time consumption data for all active utility services (electricity, water, gas) on the customer's account
The system must allow users to configure consumption thresholds with immediate effect upon saving
The system must provide color-coded visual indicators for threshold status based on current consumption
The system must display usage trends graph showing consumption data for exactly 6 months
The system must provide filter options for individual utility service selection in usage trends
The system must auto-scale graph Y-axis based on highest consumption value among the 6 months displayed
The system must calculate period change using formula: ((current bill - last bill) / last bill) × 100
The system must calculate average of last 6 bills using formula: (total amount of 6 bills) ÷ 6
The system must display "Increasing/trending upward" for positive period change and "Decreasing/trending downward" for negative period change
The system must allow bill comparison selection for 3, 6, or 12 billing periods
The system must display total comparison graph showing only the selected number of bills data
The system must identify and display highest usage bill period and amount based on selected filter (3, 6, or 12)
The system must identify and display lowest usage bill period and amount based on selected filter (3, 6, or 12)
The system must display total number of available bills (maximum 12 bills)
The system must show date range for the last 12 bills period
The system must display hard-coded message "Historical data beyond 12 bills is not stored"
The system must source conservation tips content from CIS self-service tips section
The system must mark tips as "helpful" when user clicks the "Helpful" button
The system must navigate to detailed tip section when user clicks "Learn More"
The system must filter conservation tips by applicable utility services on customer account
The system must enforce 12-bill historical data limit across all comparison and analysis features
The system must handle missing utility data with appropriate disclaimers

10. Process Changes

Process Area	Current Process	New Process	Impact Analysis
Usage Monitoring	Customers receive monthly paper bills with no interim usage visibility	Real-time consumption dashboard with threshold alerts and daily usage tracking	85% reduction in bill shock incidents, 40% improvement in consumption awareness
Bill Analysis	Manual comparison of paper bills, limited to 2-3 months of data retention	Interactive 12-month bill comparison with trend analysis and automated insights	60% reduction in customer service calls about billing questions, 25% faster issue resolution
Conservation Engagement	Generic efficiency tips in quarterly mailers with low engagement	Personalized, categorized tips with savings calculations and implementation guides	150% increase in conservation program participation, 15% average reduction in consumption
Threshold Management	Reactive discovery of high usage when bill arrives	Proactive threshold setting with automated alerts at 80%, 90%, and 100% of limits	70% reduction in high-bill customer complaints, 30% improvement in budget adherence
Data Access	Phone calls to customer service for usage information	Self-service portal with 24/7 access to consumption and billing data	50% reduction in usage-related customer service volume, 90% faster information access
Seasonal Planning	No advance warning of consumption changes	Historical trend analysis with seasonal pattern identification	35% improvement in customer budget planning accuracy, 45% reduction in payment arrangement requests
Conservation Education	Limited access to efficiency information	Comprehensive tips library with utility-specific strategies and estimated ROI	200% increase in conservation tip engagement, 20% improvement in conservation measure adoption

11. Impact from Solving This Problem

Metric Category	Improvement Description
Customer Satisfaction	40% increase in portal satisfaction scores through enhanced visibility and control over utility consumption
Call Center Volume	55% reduction in usage and billing inquiry calls, freeing agents for complex customer service issues
Customer Engagement	180% increase in portal login frequency and 3x longer average session duration
Conservation Participation	150% increase in conservation program enrollment and 25% improvement in energy efficiency measure adoption
Bill Shock Incidents	75% reduction in high-bill customer complaints through proactive threshold monitoring and alerts
Payment Timeliness	20% improvement in on-time payment rates due to better budget planning and consumption awareness
Digital Adoption	60% increase in paperless billing enrollment and 45% growth in online payment usage
Operational Efficiency	30% reduction in manual bill explanation processes and 40% decrease in repeat customer service contacts
Customer Retention	15% improvement in customer satisfaction scores and 25% reduction in service disconnection requests
Conservation Impact	12% average reduction in household consumption and $180 annual savings per participating customer
Self-Service Adoption	70% of customers actively using self-service features, reducing overall service delivery costs

12. User Behavior Tracking

Residential Customer Tracking Plan:

Event Category	Specific Events	Properties	Analytics Questions
Dashboard Usage	Portal Login, Dashboard View, Feature Access	login_method, session_duration, features_accessed, device_type	How often do customers check their consumption? Which features drive the most engagement?
Threshold Management	Threshold Set, Threshold Modified, Alert Received, Alert Acknowledged	utility_type, threshold_value, alert_level, response_time	Are customers effectively using threshold alerts? What threshold levels work best?
Consumption Monitoring	Data Refresh, Trend View, Period Selection, Export Request	utility_service, time_period, export_format, comparison_type	Which consumption data is most valuable to customers? How do viewing patterns correlate with conservation behavior?
Bill Comparison	Comparison View, Period Change, Chart Toggle, Analysis Review	comparison_period, utility_filter, view_type, engagement_depth	Do bill comparisons lead to conservation actions? Which comparison periods provide the most value?
Conservation Tips	Tips Browse, Tip Detail View, Tip Rating, Tip Share, Bookmark Save	tip_category, tip_type, rating_score, share_method, implementation_intent	Which conservation tips are most popular? Do tip views correlate with actual consumption reduction?
Alert Engagement	Alert Click, Alert Dismiss, Threshold Adjust, Conservation Action	alert_type, threshold_breach_level, subsequent_actions, usage_change	How effectively do alerts drive behavior change? What threshold levels optimize engagement without alert fatigue?

Key Insights from Tracking:

Conservation Effectiveness: Correlation between tip engagement and actual consumption reduction
Feature Optimization: Most valuable dashboard components and optimal alert frequency
Customer Segmentation: Usage patterns by demographic, consumption level, and engagement type
Seasonal Behavior: How consumption monitoring varies by season and weather patterns
Cost Savings Validation: Relationship between portal usage and actual utility bill reductions
Customer Journey Optimization: Identify friction points and opportunities for enhanced user experience

13. Wireframe

https://preview--consumer-self-service.lovable.app/usage