When service is disrupted, we respond
Running 24/7 emergency operations for energy suppliers with vulnerable-customer obligations
WHY THIS MATTERS
Crisis readiness drives operational excellence standards
Extreme weather and regulatory pressure reshape every operational model.
Extreme-weather events
11 hours
Average electricity interruption time per customer in 2024 — nearly double the 6-hour annual average from the previous decade, with major weather events accounting for 80% of lost hours
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), "Electricity Monthly Update," December 2024
Vulnerable customers at risk
24%
Low-income and elderly populations disproportionately enrolled in state priority services registers and life-support equipment programs.
U.S. Census Bureau, "2024 Disability Statistics Report," March 2025
Regulatory response window
12 hours
Industry standard for initial contact with life-support equipment customers during widespread outages (NY PSC requirement: 80% contact within 12 hours, 100% within 24 hours)
New York State Public Service Commission, "Improved Emergency Response Plans for Major Electric Utilities," April 2024
PROVEN OUTCOMES
Proven emergency operations. Measurable results.
Real results across response SLAs, vulnerability escalation, and compliance for energy suppliers.
99%
emergency SLA adherence
Volume-spike absorption and out-of-hours continuity built into the operating model by design.
100%
vulnerable-customer escalation compliance
Every flagged case escalated within required windows, logged at point of escalation, and audit-retrievable.
<30s
emergency triage-to-route time
Average contact receipt to triage decision and routing ensures regulatory response windows met.
15%-25%
cost of operations reduction
Intelligent automation and Kairos-enabled triage logic maintained SLA and compliance performance gains.
Solution deep dive
Different workflows with an always-on model
A gas leak does not care what day it is. The operation has to be ready before the incident.
Emergency volume does not scale predictably. It spikes when infrastructure fails.
We provide 24/7 emergency operations, including gas leak triage, supply interruption response, fault reporting, and priority-customer escalation. Emergency triage-to-route time stays below 30 seconds, with operating models built to absorb sudden volume spikes while maintaining regulatory compliance.
- 24/7 and out-of-hours coverage, including bank holidays
- Gas leak triage, supply interruption response, and fault reporting
- Priority-customer escalation embedded into emergency workflows
- Emergency triage-to-route time: <30 seconds
- Emergency SLA adherence: 99%
- Operating model designed to absorb volume spikes
- PUC- and FERC-compliance specialists on every shift, where applicable
Priority service and vulnerable-customer registers are a regulatory obligation, not a preference
We run vulnerable-customer escalation as a workflow inside the emergency operation, and not a post-incident report. Vulnerable-customer escalation compliance: 100%.
- Risk scoring applied at point of triage, not post-incident
- Specialist advisors for every vulnerable-customer contact
- Vulnerable-customer escalation compliance: 100%
- Priority Services Register (PSR) equivalent coverage: state-mandated vulnerable-customer registers, life-support equipment registries, and Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) beneficiary flags
- Escalation SLAs tracked and evidenced for regulatory retrieval
Sunday night is when the regulator finds out what your operating model actually does
We run seamless out-of-hours coverage as an extension of the daytime operation, not a reduced-service mode.
- Out-of-hours coverage with identical triage protocols to in-hours
- Overflow routing for queue management during volume spikes
- Emergency SLA adherence: 99% across all shifts
- Out-of-hours continuity by design, not by overtime roster
Emergency operations generate regulatory evidence requirements that outlast the incident by months
We run compliance logging and audit-trail generation as part of the live operation. Every triage decision, escalation, and SLA milestone is captured, timestamped, and retrievable.
- State PUC and FERC filing compliance: evidence packaged for mandatory emergency-response reporting and Customer Incident Reports (CIRs)
- Evidence package generation built into the operating model
- Compliance and operations run as one system, not two
- Regulatory Filing Validator agent — evidence checked before submission
Energy emergencies are a proven vector for scam calls impersonating suppliers and engineers
We build scam-call mitigation into emergency triage scripts, not as a separate compliance check but as an embedded verification step. Customers get confirmed. Engineers are authenticated. Vulnerable customers at highest risk receive a proactive protocol.
WHO WE SERVE
Emergency readiness across every utility model
Different utility sectors face different emergency obligations. The operating model must adapt to each one.
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Energy retail and multi-utility
Respond confidently when disruption hits
We run always-on outage communications, emergency triage, vulnerable-customer protocols, and restoration updates for energy retailers, investor-owned utilities, and municipals, holding service levels through storms and surge-demand events.
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Water and wastewater utilities
Perform when customers need you most
We manage surge demand, emergency communications, priority and vulnerable-customer support, and service recovery for water and wastewater utilities, holding service levels and regulatory compliance through storms and major events.
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CUSTOMER STORY
Escalation failures caught before regulators see them
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A regulated energy supplier was running 24/7 emergency operations with vulnerability escalation handled as a post-incident process rather than a designed-in workflow step. Escalations were being missed or delayed, creating regulatory evidence gaps.
Firstsource embedded vulnerability protocols directly into emergency triage scripts, so risk scoring was applied at the point of the call, specialist advisors handled every flagged case, and every SLA milestone was captured, timestamped, and retrievable. Emergency response SLA adherence held at 99%. Zero escalations were missed.
Firstsource embedded vulnerability protocols directly into emergency triage scripts, so risk scoring was applied at the point of the call, specialist advisors handled every flagged case, and every SLA milestone was captured, timestamped, and retrievable. Emergency response SLA adherence held at 99%. Zero escalations were missed.
99%
emergency SLA adherence
100%
vulnerable-customer escalation compliance
<30s
emergency triage-to-route time
15%–25%
operating-cost reduction
PROOF OF DELIVERY
Results delivered in live operations
Proven outcomes across customer operations, revenue performance, and utility transformation.
$305M
payments accelerated
Accelerated customer payments through digital collections and customer outreach programs while reducing field-service dependency.
60%
win-back improvement
Improved customer-retention performance through analytics-led prioritization, advisor guidance, and engagement optimization.
15–25%
operating cost reduction
Reduced utility operating costs through automation, AI-enabled workflows, and operational redesign.
INSIGHTS
Latest from the Firstsource team
Insights from the field, real operations, real outcomes, and perspectives from the people making it work in live operations.
Case Study
How a multi-state US electric utility accelerated $305M through digital outreach
A large, multi-state US electric utility partnered with Firstsource to modernize its collections and customer outreach operations through digital communications. The objective was to supplement existing mailed and field-based processes with timely, electronic outreach that could expand customer response windows, encourage self-serve payments, and reduce reliance on field activity.
CONTACT US
Emergency performance is decided before the incident begins
Receive an assessment of emergency readiness, compliance exposure, and response performance within one business day.
- Operator-led: the teams who run emergency operations identify what needs to change.
- Built around your regulatory obligations, escalation processes, and vulnerable-customer requirements.
- Commercial models aligned to SLA achievement, compliance outcomes, and operational performance.