When Simon Wu joined Rideau St. Lawrence Distribution Inc. following a private sector career, he brought a fresh perspective and a passion for supporting employee growth. Although the utility world was new to him, Wu’s goal was clear, he wanted to empower his team, encourage new ideas, and ensure the company stayed rooted in the needs of the local communities it serves.
As a self-described servant leader, Wu doesn’t profess to have all the answers. He strives to enable his team to continue to grow and find meaningful way to add value. That approach has sparked practical community-focused innovation across the small eastern Ontario utility, which services 6,000 customers in Cardinal, Iroquois, Morrisburg, Prescott, Westport and Williamsburg.
During the pandemic, Wu and his team took a close look at how Rideau St. Lawrence’s three customer offices were being used. They discovered that only about 20 people visited in a typical month, most were older adults who preferred to pay their utility bills in person and enjoyed connecting with staff and neighbours.
Rather than simply closing offices to cut costs, Wu searched for a way to keep that personal connection while improving efficiency. Banks were not an option, since not all the communities had one. Instead, Wu looked to an unlikely source of inspiration – his personal interest in Bitcoin. He explored how some cryptocurrency exchanges use Canada Post locations to enable cash deposits, and he saw a similar opportunity for paying utility bills.
Partnering with Payment Source, a Canadian company specializing payment options, as well as programing support from a University of Waterloo co-op student, the team developed a creative solution. By printing a scannable 2D barcode on utility bills it allowed customers to pay bills at any Canada Post office.
The results spoke for themselves. The new system reduced overhead costs by about $50,000, while allowing customers to pay their hydro bill close to home. For Wu, the benefits went beyond financial savings. He describes it as a win-win solution for customers, shareholders and municipalities who appreciate the “people-oriented” solution.
Although uptake of the barcode system now includes only a small number of customers, the project has proven that even small-scale innovation can make a meaningful difference. Wu hopes that by sharing Rideau St. Lawrence’s experience, other utilities will see opportunities to adapt similar solutions that meet local needs while keeping community at the heart of what they do.