Managing District Heating from A to Z
As part of Denmark’s ambition to reduce CO₂ emissions by 70 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, more homes are transitioning from oil and gas to district heating. Vestforbrænding is part of the solution, contributing by connecting many new customers to the district heating network in the coming years.
Dwarf was hired, together with Immeo, to develop a digital customer platform where new customers can follow the installation process from registration to activation and later monitor their consumption in terms of cost, MWh-hours, and associated CO₂ emissions. The goal of the project is to give customers a clear overview of the installation process, reducing the need to contact customer service or contractors along the way. Once the district heating is installed, the aim is to provide the best digital self-service solution in the industry and perhaps even make customers more aware of their energy consumption.
The new solution is available both as a web application and as mobile apps downloadable from the App Store and Google Play. It provides customers with a complete overview of their district heating journey – from connection to activation, and ongoing usage. During installation, customers can follow the construction work and see when contractors plan to start and finish excavation at their address. The app also notifies them if there are any changes to the timeline.
Once the system is up and running, customers can track their usage in real time and in monetary terms, so they always know whether their on-account payments match actual consumption. This way, they can tell whether to expect a surplus or a shortfall when the annual settlement arrives. Usage can also be viewed in MWh and associated CO₂ emissions – broken down by day, month, and year.
After using district heating for over a year, customers can compare their consumption year-on-year. Since weather has a big impact on heating needs, the solution pulls in weather data from DMI, enabling users to see whether changes in consumption are due to colder weather or changes in habits. All documents, statements, and payment overviews related to district heating are also available in the app. It’s also where customers can find energy-saving tips and answers to common questions.
From a technical perspective, the frontend is built in React, and we’ve used Chart.js for data visualization. The solution is integrated with Vestforbrænding’s meters and CRM system via an integration layer developed by Immeo. The app itself is built in React Native, providing a single codebase for both iOS and Android versions.
Content for the customer portal is delivered via the integration layer from Umbraco, allowing editors to work in a single CMS – whether they're creating content for the portal or the public website, which we launched about 2 years ago.
The rollout of district heating to private customers is well underway, and the first (still few) operational customers can now track their consumption live in the new platform. As more households get connected, behavioral data can be collected to help optimize the digital experience.
