HOW are we performing?
As part of our sustainability initiative, Ameren has sought to assess our performance—what we’re doing well and what we can do better. Members of Ameren’s internal corporate social responsibility Steering Committee collaborated to consider enterprise-level categories, areas of success and areas for improvement. Additional guidance was provided by our Executive Leadership Team and subject-matter experts. In this area, we asked, “How successful have we been in serving customers and improving the communities in our service territory?” Our assessment covers the past several years and is current through March 1, 2017.
| Priorities | Successes | Opportunities |
|---|---|---|
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Safe, reliable, reasonably priced energy |
Supporting constructive regulatory policies: In December 2016, electric formula ratemaking in Illinois was extended through 2022. This important legislation paves the way for Ameren Illinois to continue a world-class energy infrastructure modernization program for central and southern Illinois, to provide customers with greater tools to manage their energy usage and create thousands of quality jobs — all while maintaining affordable rates.
Managing residential electric delivery prices: Our prices on average in Illinois and Missouri are among the lowest in the United States. Offering extensive energy efficiency programs and helping Illinois and Missouri customers identify and implement meaningful ways to manage their energy use. Working with more than 100 agencies on community programs for low-income and other customers to deploy $2.7 million in energy assistance grants in 2016.
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Modernizing Missouri’s regulatory framework to better support economic development and grid modernization.
Reducing electric service interruptions: Regarding our SAIFI rating, we aim to consistently perform in the top quartile in Illinois and Missouri. Improving Ameren Missouri’s third-quartile position on CAIDI, which measures outage minutes per customer (it also is a symptom of a grid that is aging). This measure indicates that Missouri customers experience outages of longer durations than those receiving service from more than half of Ameren Missouri’s peer electric utilities in the United States. |
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Quality service and customer conveniences |
Offering new digital and mobile services, such as account and outage alerts, and providing additional opportunities to communicate with the company via digital channels.
Supporting customers’ energy efficiency needs through residential and business energy efficiency and renewable programs; saving Ameren customers as much electricity as the annual consumption of more than a million average homes. Providing Illinois customers with the opportunity to earn bill credits for proactively reducing electricity usage with Peak Time Rewards® program. Receiving, for the second consecutive year, the J.D. Power award for the highest ranking among large Midwest utilities for overall customer satisfaction with business electric service customers (Ameren Missouri). Achieving consistent top-quartile field and call center performance on customer transaction surveys. Achieving a “quality of service” ranking of 5 on a 5-point scale from 90% of customers on after-call surveys rating the Ameren Illinois and Ameren Missouri Customer Care Teams.
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Enhancing self-service offerings and increasing customer participation to improve customers’ experience and satisfaction.
Using continuous improvement methods to enhance customer value. Developing new and innovative programs that customers find valuable. Providing more accurate and timely information to customers based on their communication preferences (phone, text, email, etc.) during system outages. Improving online customer conveniences. |
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Charitable giving and volunteerism |
Contributing nearly $7.3 million in 2016 to almost 1,000 nonprofit organizations throughout the region.
Supporting local communities with co-worker United Way campaign contributions nearing $1.8 million in 2016. Developing and providing free community access to “Discussions Across Differences,” a video program created by Ameren following the events in Ferguson, Mo., to promote ongoing dialogue and deeper understanding around diversity and inclusion in the communities we serve. Funding more than 40 nonprofit organizations through Ameren’s Dollars for Doers program, a co-worker volunteer incentive program throughout our service territory. |
Continuing to focus charitable giving in areas that can have the biggest impact in our communities: environmental, arts and culture, youth and education, health and human services, civic and community. |
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Support of economic development |
Serving as an economic engine in Illinois and Missouri, with $2.1 billion in non-fuel capital expenditures in 2016. Along with its payroll of $994 million, Ameren is a major contributor to a healthy economy for Missouri and Illinois.
Paid $467 million in state and local taxes to the economies of Illinois and Missouri. Working to continuously increase our level of spending with diverse-owned suppliers, surpassing our 2015 figure with a total 2016 spend of $316 million. |
Attracting new businesses to our service territory. From site selection to energy infrastructure assessments and beyond, the expertise offered by Ameren’s Economic Development team gives businesses the power to grow.
Dealing with challenging headwinds in the economy as manufacturers struggle with shifts in global markets and political uncertainty. |