Unlock Simpler Electricity Payments with the SmartPay Energy Card

“Finally, no more endless manual transfers at the computer!” exclaimed Song Jiaru, a finance officer at Kuitun Sunshine Heating Co., Ltd. On March 5th, she effortlessly managed electricity payments for 21 heating stations located across seven residential communities in just three minutes, all from her smartphone. The Warm Heart SmartPay Energy Card, launched in 2024 by State Grid Kuitun Power Supply Company, has already benefited over 3,000 households and businesses in the Kuitun area, transforming electricity bill payments from a major hassle into fingertip convenience.

For Sunshine Heating, managing electricity payments for its 21 heating stations was once a monthly battle. “At our busiest, it took the entire finance team two hours of manual processing. We even had equipment shutdowns due to missed payments,” recalls Ms. Song. Now, thanks to the Warm Heart SmartPay Energy Card, she simply transfers the total amount once, and the system automatically allocates funds to each station, instantly generates e-invoices, and guarantees 100% payment accuracy. The innovation has also revolutionized electricity payments for Zhang Yu, a supermarket chain owner, who no longer has to manage payments for each of his eight stores individually.. “Now, I can handle all the electricity bills in just ten minutes, and the system automatically generates a reconciliation statement,” Zhang Yu stated

The SmartPay Energy Card streamlines electricity payments by directly linking to a company’s primary online banking account, enabling one-click payment for all associated accounts and eliminating the cumbersome process of individual transfers. Compared to traditional payment methods, the SmartPay Energy Card system accelerates fund availability by 80%, waiving documentation requirements for inter-account transfers, and offers remote e-invoicing – truly digitizing the entire process. The system also features an intelligent payment allocation module that automatically distributes funds according to pre-defined rules, effectively mitigating the risk of human error.

Since its launch in 2024, State Grid Kuitun Power Supply Company has established an integrated “online” and “in-person” outreach program, distributing SmartPay Energy Cards to users who had their traditional meters upgraded with smart meters within a two-month period. Complementing this, company staff provided “on-site demos and remote guidance” during bill collection and contract signing, resulting in 15 new business sign-ups and the processing of 32 email service requests in the Kuitun urban area in the first week alone. To further enhance the program, the company also implemented a dynamic monitoring system, tracking usage data from over 3,000 issued cards and collecting 47 user suggestions for improvements.

Following the SmartPay Energy Card rollout, the on-time payment rate for electricity bills in the area has increased to 99.8%, complaints regarding billing disputes have decreased by 62% year-over-year, and the average payment time per household has been reduced by 85%. Looking ahead, State Grid Kuitun Power Supply Company will continue issuing SmartPay Energy Cards, continuously monitor payment trends, gather user feedback, and further refine system functionality to enhance payment efficiency and the overall user experience. (By Wang Xuan)