The long road to new technology

More than a year ago, LCEC made the decision to replace all of its flagship systems with new technology. Many options were considered and all benefits were weighed. The transition to National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) technology was an easy choice to make.

The collaboration integrates all of the LCEC systems and affords a working relationship that comes with more than 1,200 employees in four cities who provide service to more than 20 million utility and telecommunications consumers in all 50 states. Once implemented, the change will result in enhanced service and long-term cost savings.

For well over a year, the LCEC team has been mapping processes and planning for implementation. In spite of resources being diverted to Hurricane Irma restoration efforts, the plan is on schedule. On September 24, 2018, all the planning, training, and preparation will come to fruition. The new systems will bring customers more convenience, easier navigation, new options for managing electric bills and usage, mobile access, and a host of future enhanced features.

Some processes will change which is also one of the beauties of the new systems. The new systems have been designed with utility best practices and proven results in mind. Employees from LCEC and NISC have been working hard to make the transition as seamless as imaginable. There may be some bumps along the way, and LCEC has a rich history of resolving issues and finding solutions. Employees, supported by NISC, will work hard to address any issues that arise and continue to provide the best service possible.

What customers need to know:

During the transition – September 17-24

• Paperless billing will not be available. All customers will receive a paper bill.
• Online and phone payments will not be available through www.lcec.net.
• Our Walk-in Payment Stations, Immokalee Payment Center, and U.S. mail are all available payment channels through this transition. 
• Bill images will no longer be available through bank websites.
• Due dates will be extended a week to allow for the inconvenience.
• Some bills will be trued up to ensure an accurate billing cycle moving forward. No customer will be charged for electricity they have not used and we will honor payment arrangement requests.

Once the transition is complete – September 24

• Customers enroll in SmartHub and can opt for paperless billing again.
• Customers previously paying their bill automatically through their bank should enroll in SmartHub and LCEC AutoPay. Bill images will no longer be available through bank websites.
• SmartHub will provide access to bills, daily usage information, online payment, payment extensions, outage reporting, and more!
• SmartHub will be available on smartphones, tablets and any mobile device.