Rhenag launches voice AI pilot to automate utility phone service in Siegburg

Rheinische Energie AG (Rhenag) has begun a pilot project at its Siegburg location that uses a voice‑AI agent to handle routine telephone inquiries such as meter‑reading reports and installment changes. The automation aims to alleviate staff workload amid rising customer demand caused by the energy transition and a shortage of skilled workers, and the company hopes the model can be replicated by other German municipal utilities.

At the University of Paderborn, master‑level students in a "Smart Service" seminar built a generative‑AI chatbot together with the city of Paderborn and its economic‑development agency. The chatbot guides organisations through systematic service analysis and redesign, and was applied to a volunteer‑platform and a start‑up advisory service, demonstrating how AI can improve service efficiency without deep methodological expertise.