Teneo.ai, a leader in AI-powered customer service automation, today announced the expansion of its Teneo 8 platform with AI Agents for the Utility Industry. Built for high-stakes, high-volume service environments, Teneo Enterprise Agentic AI combines LLM-driven natural language with a deterministic intelligence layer and multi-LLM orchestration. This allows electricity, gas and water providers to scale automation across voice and digital channels without sacrificing the safety, accuracy, or PII protection required for critical infrastructure.
As utilities face additional pressure from both aging infrastructure and rising consumer expectations, the need for scalable communication has never been more urgent. In the United States, customers experienced an average of 11 hours of electricity interruptions in 2024, nearly double the annual average of the previous decade. With service satisfaction increasingly tied to proactive communication during these crises, Teneo.ai enables utilities to eliminate “busy signals” and wait times during peak events while reducing operational overhead.
Utilities are the backbone of modern society, and when service is interrupted, customers need immediate, reliable, and secure information,” said Lee Kayne, Senior VP. Americas of Teneo.ai. “With Teneo 8, utility providers can move beyond basic chatbots to fully autonomous AI Agents that handle the most complex journeys—from high-pressure outage reporting to intricate billing disputes—all while maintaining the strict governance and compliance standards essential to the sector.
AI Agents for the Full Utility Customer Lifecycle
Teneo 8 supports the most critical and frequent utility interactions, ensuring a seamless experience from the moment a resident move into a new home to the implementation of smart energy programs.
| Lifecycle Stage | What the AI Agent Handles |
|---|---|
| Move & Onboarding | Automates “Start, Stop, and Transfer” requests; validates service addresses; sets up new accounts; and manages identity verification (PII) with enterprise security. |
| Outage & Emergency | Handles massive inbound spikes during storms; provides real-time restoration ETAs; collects hazard details (downed lines/gas leaks); and triggers automated outbound alerts. |
| Billing & Payments | Explains complex bill fluctuations; processes secure payments; sets up autopay; and negotiates payment plans or deferred balances for overdue accounts. |
| Usage & Metering | Interprets consumption trends; guides customers through meter self-reads to resolve estimated billing discrepancies; and offers personalized energy-saving tips. |
| Smart Home & EV | Supports enrollment in solar programs and EV charging rates; assists with smart meter pairing; and manages rebates for energy-efficient appliance upgrades. |
| Field Ops & Dispatch | Schedules technician appointments for installs or inspections; provides window reminders; and captures site-access details for field crews. |
| Safety & Compliance | Manages GDPR-compliant data flows; executes secure verification for account changes; and provides instant guidance during safety-related service disconnections. |
| Sustainability | Promotes carbon-offset programs and time-of-use (TOU) optimization to help providers meet regulatory decarbonization targets. |
Availability
Teneo 8 is available now for new and existing customers. Teneo.ai provides deployment support, ROI modeling and migration assistance to help enterprises launch quickly and scale safely.