DTEK Grids Presented Its AI Strategy for Customer Service at an E.DSO Workshop
The workshop was held within the framework of the E.DSO Customer Empowerment Working Group, chaired by Ruslan Volynets, Customer Relations Director at DTEK Grids. Representatives of the European Commission and leading European distribution system operators, including E.ON (Germany), UFD (Spain), ESO (Lithuania), and E-REDES (Portugal), also took part in the event.
Participants discussed practical applications of AI in the energy sector, ranging from chatbots and voice assistants to automated customer request processing, data analytics, and grid load forecasting. According to E.DSO, 85% of European DSOs are already implementing AI-related projects, while 100% use artificial intelligence in at least some part of their operations.
During the workshop, DTEK Grids presented its approach to developing AI-powered solutions for customer service and operational processes. The company is currently working on a portfolio of initiatives aimed at automating customer interactions, processing requests, analyzing data, retrieving information from internal systems, forecasting grid loads, and reducing electricity losses. Some projects are already in pilot operation, while others remain at the discovery and business case validation stage.
Among the showcased initiatives was a Voice Bot solution for customer call centers. The system is designed to provide outage information and collect meter readings without the involvement of a contact center operator. Customers will be able to receive outage-related updates or submit meter readings through automated voice interaction, with all information recorded directly in the company’s systems. The solution is expected to reduce pressure on contact centers, particularly during large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure, while improving customer response times.
DTEK Grids also presented an AI-powered meter reading recognition solution. In cases where a meter reader cannot access a property, customers can submit a photo of their meter through a chatbot. Artificial intelligence automatically analyzes the image, extracts the meter readings, and transfers the data into the company’s operational systems.
The company further showcased AI tools designed to support employees, including an AI Assistant capable of analyzing customer conversations in real time, generating response suggestions, and recommending relevant services. Additional solutions under development include AI-based electricity loss localization and forecasting of electricity inflows into the grid.
The experience shared by other European DSOs confirmed the effectiveness of such technologies. Lithuanian DSO ESO reported that its AI tools helped reduce silence during customer calls from 52% to 44% and increased first-contact resolution rates from 78% to 86%.
Workshop participants agreed that AI delivers the strongest impact when applied to repetitive, high-volume customer interactions. At the same time, successful scaling of AI solutions requires high-quality data, strong governance frameworks, phased implementation, continued human oversight, and compliance with the EU AI Act, which establishes rules for the safe and transparent use of artificial intelligence across the European Union