Program Promotions Archives - Questline Digital

Compassionate Communications: Educating Customers about Available Assistance Programs

When life takes an unexpected turn — a job loss, medical emergency or sudden expense — staying current with energy bills can become difficult. This is where financial assistance programs play a critical role for utility customers.

To ensure your utility financial assistance communications reach those who need it most, it’s important to communicate with compassion, clarity and consistency. Here are four utility program best practices to ensure your customers feel supported and understand their options.

Lead with Empathy and Understanding

Financial hardship can feel isolating and overwhelming, and customers need reassurance that their utility is a trusted energy advisor, not a bill collector. Every touchpoint in your utility payment assistance communications — whether an email, text or social media post — should use a supportive, empathetic tone.

Instead of saying:
“If you’re unable to pay, you may face service disconnection.”

Try:
“If you’re struggling to keep up with winter bills, we can help. Assistance programs are available to provide comfort and relief this season.”

A compassionate message builds trust and encourages customers to learn more about available resources. For example, PSEG Long Island’s financial assistance landing page uses warm visuals and empathetic messaging to connect with Long Islanders facing financial hardship.

Customers are directed to three pathways: Heating and cooling assistance, payment plans and a financial hardship form. This makes it easy for customers to find the course of action that best fits their needs. For customers who have questions, the landing page includes contact information for the utility’s team of advocates who offer customized recommendations on utility payment assistance communications.

Image of utility website bill payment assistance

Make Your Message Simple and Accessible

When a customer is struggling, even small barriers can discourage them from seeking help. That’s why clarity and simplicity are essential in utility financial assistance communications.

Understanding eligibility requirements and completing applications are often deemed a complicated process. Utility marketers should avoid technical jargon and lengthy explanations in email campaigns, bill inserts, landing pages and other communications. Instead, use simple language, short paragraphs and clear calls to action.

Additionally, visual elements can make information even easier to digest. Infographics, step-by-step graphics or short videos can guide customers through the application process or explain complex programs. For instance, an infographic illustrating “3 Easy Steps to Get Bill Assistance” can be more effective than text-heavy explanations.

Best practices:

Use friendly headers like “We Can Help” or “Find the Right Program for You.”
Keep paragraphs short and focus on one key message per section.
Include direct links to enrollment forms or contact pages.
Clearly list eligibility requirements and documents needed up front.
Use icons or checkmarks to visually organize important information.

ComEd, the largest electric utility in Illinois serving Chicago, created a simple and accessible online tool to help customers find financial support. The Smart Assistance Manager (SAM) helps customers explore available assistance programs without needing to contact customer service.

This online tool guides customers through eligibility requirements and the application process. By signing into their account, customers receive personalized program recommendations tailored to their needs.

Thumbnail image from utility assistance program website

Accessibility goes beyond content — it’s also about language and format. Offering utility financial assistance communications in multiple languages — or using translation tools for email, webpages and videos — helps ensure all customers understand assistance programs. An essential utility program awareness strategy, inclusive communication helps to reach diverse communities within your service territory.

A great example of accessible communications is Questline Digital’s Engage Global Translate. With this translation feature, customers can easily select and save their preferred language for website content and emails. Offering 134 language choices, Engage Global Translate ensures a more accessible and inclusive experience for every customer.

Reach Customers Where They Are

Not every customer reads your utility’s emails or visits your website regularly – that’s why a multichannel approach is key. A well-rounded utility program awareness strategy ensures your message reaches the right people at the right time.

Consider these touchpoints:

Email campaigns that drive awareness and encourage action
Bill inserts or messages in My Account portals
Social media posts to reach broader audiences
Community partnerships with local organizations or nonprofits that serve low-income customers
Outbound text messages to remind customers of enrollment deadlines

To increase awareness and enrollment in assistance programs among Pennsylvania customers, FirstEnergy wanted to reach eligible households with more personalized, recurring digital utility financial assistance communications. Partnering with Questline Digital, the utility launched a campaign using SmartVX, a personalized video solution that delivers unique, data-driven messages to each customer.

The highly personalized videos featured the customer’s name and highlighted state and federal programs they were most likely to qualify for, with Spanish-language versions available to engage diverse communities.

By embedding these customized videos into targeted email campaigns, FirstEnergy achieved strong results in just four months, including a 70.5% watch rate, 4,800+ call-to-action (CTA) clicks and 10,000+ video views.

FirstEnergy boosted its program enrollment engagement rate to 6.2% in 2024, marking a 2% jump from the previous year. Much of this success can be attributed to the impact of the personalized video campaign.

Example of a utility financial assistance case study

Tie Assistance to Broader Utility Values

Customers respond more positively to assistance programs when they understand that support is rooted in the utility’s mission and values. Your utility financial assistance communications are an opportunity to reinforce your commitment to affordability, energy equity and community wellbeing.

Consider incorporating messaging such as:

“As part of our commitment to energy equity, we offer a range of assistance options to help ensure every household stays safe and comfortable.”
“Supporting our community is at the heart of everything we do. Our assistance programs are designed to help customers during life’s unexpected challenges.”
“We’re dedicated to keeping energy affordable and accessible. If you’re experiencing hardship, we have resources that can help.”

Entergy, a large Southeast utility, emphasizes its commitment to community wellbeing through the Low-Income Customer Assistance and related programs — a powerful example of how financial assistance can reflect a utility’s core values.

According to the Entergy website, approximately 40% of the utility’s 3 million residential customers live below the poverty line. Since 2000, Entergy has invested over $175 million in programs aimed at helping low-income families. For example, the Power to Care program provides emergency bill payment assistance funded by donations from customers and employees, then matched by the company.

Entergy’s mission goes beyond providing energy service — it’s rooted in supporting customers and communities in need.

Thumbnail image from utility community assistance webpage

The Impact of Thoughtful Communications

Communicating about utility financial assistance communications is more than listing available resources — it’s an opportunity to demonstrate your utility’s commitment to customer wellbeing.

When utilities lead with empathy, simplify access to programs and connect assistance to their broader mission of community service, customers feel understood and supported. Compassionate communications strengthen trust and build lasting customer relationships.

Develop a compassionate communications strategy for your financial assistance programs with help from Questline Digital.

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Utility Self-Service Options Improve the Customer Experience

In today’s fast-paced digital world, utility customers expect seamless and efficient services. To meet these expectations, utility marketers are turning to utility self-service options, which put customers in the driver’s seat of their energy journey.

From chatbots to mobile apps, utility self-service solutions enhance customer satisfaction, build stronger customer relationships and streamline utility operations.

Empowering Customers With Utility Self-Service

Consumers increasingly demand services and solutions that are not only convenient but also personalized, intuitive and accessible anytime and anywhere. A recent study finds that two-thirds of adults worldwide prefer to make or receive online payments. Additionally, 67% of consumers prefer self-service options versus speaking with a company representative.

In fact, “hyper-convenience” is becoming a growing expectation for today’s consumers, no matter the industry. Hyper-convenience goes beyond simply offering online account access. It’s about providing efficient utility self-service tools that empower customers to manage their energy or water use, pay bills and resolve issues without the need for direct assistance.

“Hyper-convenience refers to the ideal level of convenience for today’s customers,” says Matt Buecker, Senior Manager, Marketing and Customer Education at Baltimore Gas and Electric. “Customers expect an instant and seamless process from every company, and that is what they are expecting from their utility, too. Every interaction must be convenient and easy.”

To ensure hyper-convenience, utility self-service has become a cornerstone of the modern energy customer experience. The latest research finds that 88% of consumers expect energy providers to have an online utility self-service portal. Customers want the ability to access account information, pay bills, report issues or explore energy-saving programs at their convenience.

By providing robust utility self-service options, you empower customers to take control of their energy usage and account management, enhancing satisfaction and loyalty.

Why utility self-service matters:

Empowers customers: Self-service tools give customers control over their accounts, from paying bills to checking energy usage. This autonomy builds trust and satisfaction.
Meets evolving expectations: Utilities that embrace digital-first solutions align with customer demands for fast, seamless and on-demand services.
Enhances efficiency: Automating routine tasks, such as outage reporting or account updates, reduces the burden on customer service teams and speeds up resolutions.
Improves accessibility: Self-service is available 24/7, ensuring customers can manage their accounts at their convenience, not just during business hours.

Illustration showing common reasons why utility self-service options matter.

Chatbots Enhance Convenience

Utility customers want fast answers to their questions, whether it’s about billing, power outages or energy-saving tips. AI-powered chatbots, one of the most effective utility self-service solutions, provide 24/7 support and instant responses to common queries.

According to a recent study, nearly 1.5 million people engaged in at least one conversation with a chatbot over the past year. More so, 51% of customers prefer interacting with AI chatbots for instant service. Integrating chatbots into your utility’s website or mobile app ensures customers have immediate access to help without waiting for a customer service representative.

To guarantee a positive customer experience, chatbots should be equipped to handle a wide range of inquiries and escalate more complex issues to a human agent when necessary.

Last year, Duke Energy designed a mobile app chatbot to help customers with top pain points, including billing and payments. This convenient utility self-service option provides detailed information about payment plans and even guides users through enrollment in autopay or financial assistance programs. In the first three months, Duke Energy’s chatbot logged more than 280,000 customer interactions and 104,000 chat sessions from 55,000 unique users.

Example from Duke Energy of the utility's mobile app chatbot that was designed to help customers with their top pain points.

When considering AI chatbots, utility marketers should keep in mind that this technology may not be preferred by all customers. Illustrating this point, BGE’s focus group research found that many customers appreciated the utility’s friendly customer service representatives and preferred speaking with a human agent.

“One of the comments we received a lot was that customers love calling BGE because they always get a friendly, helpful representative,” Buecker says. “Some customers prefer this way of communication while others want to email us or reach out to us on social media. I think the key is providing the best customer experience possible, no matter the platform.”

Call-out highlighting the importance of making your utility's chatbot intuitive and conversational.

To cater to diverse customer preferences, utility self-service options should be available across multiple channels, including web portals, mobile apps, email and even social media. This availability ensures customers can engage with their utility in a way that’s most convenient for them.

Easy Enrollment in Utility Programs

Customers appreciate simplicity, especially when navigating complex information like energy efficiency rebates or financial assistance programs. By streamlining the process of signing up for programs, services or communications, utilities can make it easier for customers to take action.

To improve the customer experience, it behooves utilities to offer simple, one-click enrollment options on their website or mobile app. This utility self-service solution reduces the friction of signing up for programs and ensures customers can quickly take advantage of beneficial services.

Why easy enrollment processes matter:

Convenience for customers: One-click enrollment eliminates barriers, allowing customers to quickly join programs and services with minimal effort.
Improved conversion rates: A simplified, single-step process reduces drop-off rates during enrollment. Customers are more likely to complete a task when they don’t need to navigate through multiple pages or forms.
Enhanced customer satisfaction: Quick, frustration-free experiences reflect positively on your utility, fostering trust and improving overall satisfaction.

For example, BGE created a convenient utility self-service solution for moving customers. The Customer Operations team developed a streamlined process that allows customers to easily transfer their services to a new address online.

To promote this convenient solution, BGE’s Marketing team strategically targets frequent movers or renters with tailored promotions. For instance, renters with one-year leases might receive promotions timed to align with the end of their lease term.

Questline Digital collaborated with Duquesne Light Company to develop a streamlined landing page for one-click e-Bill enrollment, making it as easy as possible for customers to make the switch. Monthly personalized email campaigns supported the one-click landing page, culminating in a holiday sweepstakes to drive participation.

Images pulled from Questline Digital's case study about Duquesne Light Company's streamlined one-click bill enrollment campaign.

Duquesne Light Company’s utility self-service solution proved successful, with more than 38,000 customer sign-ups during a seven-month promotion period.

By implementing easy enrollment processes and well-crafted landing pages, utilities can create stress-free user experiences that boost customer engagement, drive program participation and strengthen the utility-customer relationship.

Call-out highlighting the importance of creating clear, concise landing pages.

Mobile Apps: A Must-Have for Utilities

With a majority of customers relying on smartphones to manage daily tasks, a mobile app has become an essential tool for utilities.

A well-designed mobile app should allow customers to pay their bills, monitor energy usage, report outages and access personalized energy or water usage insights. Push notifications can also alert customers about upcoming bills, service disruptions or program eligibility, enhancing the overall customer experience.

Why mobile apps matter:

24/7 accessibility: Customers can access their accounts, pay bills and report issues anytime, anywhere, without needing to contact customer service. This accessibility is especially valuable during emergencies, such as outages or severe weather events.
Streamlined user experience: A well-designed app provides an intuitive interface for common tasks like viewing energy usage, setting up autopay or managing notifications. Everything customers need is just a few taps away.
Personalized features: Apps can deliver tailored experiences, such as personalized water conservation tips or customized alerts about billing due dates and outages. This level of personalization strengthens customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Push notifications: Utilities can send timely updates, reminders or promotional messages directly to customers’ devices. For example, an app can notify customers about planned maintenance, energy-saving opportunities or new programs.

Customers are increasingly interested in understanding their energy and water usage and how they can save money. Mobile apps that offer personalized insights based on consumption can provide immense value.

Integrating data analytics into your utility self-service options allows you to deliver tailored energy-saving tips or recommend programs that best suit each customer’s lifestyle.

Last year, Georgia Power launched a new and improved mobile app for customers interested in the utility’s self-service options. Through the user-friendly app, customers can quickly and securely pay their bills using convenient options like Digital Wallet. They can also monitor their energy usage, conduct monthly comparisons and even get an estimate of their current month’s bill.

The Future of Utility Self-Service

Utility self-service options are no longer just a convenience – they’re an expectation among today’s customers. By implementing and optimizing tools like AI chatbots, streamlined enrollment processes and mobile apps, utilities can deliver a superior customer experience.

Investing in a robust self-service strategy is a win-win for both customers and utilities, fostering deeper engagement, increased loyalty and improved efficiency.

Discover how Questline Digital can help your utility develop seamless, efficient and effortless self-service options that improve the customer experience.

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Helping Customers Understand the Benefits of Conserving Water

Water is the most important natural resource, yet many customers are unaware of the benefits of conserving it. Over the past two decades, more than 50% of the United States regularly experienced drought conditions due to the water supply running low.

As water conservation concerns grow, now is the time for water utilities to connect with customers and explain the reasons to conserve water.

“With monthly rates continuing to rise and the water supply running dangerously low in many parts of the country, there has never been a more critical time for water utilities to proactively communicate with their customers,” said Andrew Heath, Senior Director of Utilities Intelligence at J.D. Power in a recent press release.

Share the Facts About Water Conservation

Many customers don’t pay attention to their water consumption or realize the strong impact that water conservation efforts could have on both their daily lives and their communities. It’s up to utilities to share that essential information.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans use around 82 gallons of water every day in their homes.

To pique customers’ interest, utilities should share facts about water conservation. For example, many customers may not know that turning off the tap while brushing their teeth can save 8 gallons of water per day. Or, if saving water isn’t enough, focus on saving money. Sharing how much a customer could save off their bills by conserving water or making efficient upgrades can do wonders to capturing their attention.

When customers understand the reasons to conserve water, and how it directly impacts their communities, the environment and their health, they are more likely to make a conscious effort to participate.

As a trusted source of information, there are many ways a utility can communicate facts about water conservation. For example, your utility can share an infographic explaining how water conservation goes hand-in-hand with reducing monthly bills and preserving a limited community resource, or an educational fact sheet about how saving water helps maintain water quality.

Consider communicating facts about water conservation through:

Newsletters
Short-form videos
Infographics
Educational fact sheets
Webinars
Community events
Social media

Compelling Reasons to Conserve Water

In addition to presenting facts about water conservation, it’s also important to communicate the benefits of conserving water so customers understand how it directly impacts them. Some of customers’ biggest motivators include:

Financial savings: It’s no secret that customers are motivated by money; they want to save on costs and reduce their monthly water bills. By highlighting the potential cost savings, they are more likely to engage with your utility’s conservation messaging and participate in water-saving efforts.
Community impact: Some customers may be driven by the desire to benefit their own community. This is especially true if their utility is a municipal or cooperative, as community engagement is already a proven priority. To reach these customers, share the impact they can make on their community by conserving water.
Sustainability focus: Many customers value sustainability and want to implement sustainable practices into their daily lives. Showing customers how their actions, like reducing water waste and usage, directly contribute to a healthier environment, can make them feel more empowered to reduce their water footprint.

Actionable Strategies for Conserving Water

Once your utility has helped customers understand the reasons to conserve water, it’s important to give them actionable strategies for how to do so. Again, education is key. Don’t assume that customers already know how to save water. It’s important to provide them with achievable water-saving tactics, including:

Being mindful of household leaks: Do your customers know that household leaks are one of the main causes for water waste? In fact, the average family wastes around 180 gallons per week, or 9,400 gallons of water annually. Connecting this fact to how much money customers are spending encourages them to pay more attention to leaks. Additionally, use this knowledge gap to provide customers with tips and tricks to detect and address leaks.
Installing water-efficient fixtures and appliances: Installing water-efficient products can help customers use at least 20% less water. As their trusted resource, customers look to you to guide them about the best products to purchase and upgrades to make within their homes. If your utility has a marketplace, promote your water efficiency items to customers and direct them to other rebates or incentives.
Reducing outdoor irrigation system usage: Nearly 30% of household water use is devoted to the outdoors, and 50% of the water used outdoors is lost due to wind, evaporation, and runoff caused by inefficient irrigation methods and systems, according to the EPA. Use this as an opportunity to educate customers on the benefits of using timers, sensors and checking for outdoor leaks often. Depending on your utility’s location, this could be a great opportunity to share additional resources pertaining to your specific climate or environment.

By educating customers about the importance and benefits of water conservation, as well as providing practical tips for water-saving practices, your utility can empower customers to take control of their water usage.

How to Promote the Benefits of Conserving Water

Although we live in a digital age, it’s important to connect with customers across all channels and mediums. The San Jose Water Company does just this by hosting in-person community events, school programs and civic presentations to educate its community about water conservation.

Its in-person events are an effective way to get the community to understand the power of preserving water resources and offer customers an opportunity to ask questions or share their challenges. Additionally, the school programs help kids start thinking about their role in helping to save water and encourage them to bring water conservation ideas and tips home to their families.

The utility even hosts “Water Appreciation Nights” at local football and baseball games, furthering the reach of their conservation messaging.

Additionally, the utility offers CATCH, a free program where customers can sign up for a water efficiency expert to visit their homes. This expert will help identify leaks and will recommend individualized water and money-saving improvements. By making water conservation accessible for its customers in many unique ways, the San Jose Water Company is able to connect with its customers and share the facts and benefits of saving water.

The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) also actively promotes water conservation to its customers and offers a comprehensive range of resources aimed at educating them about the reasons to conserve water and methods to do so effectively.

LADWP offers a wide array of educational resources for customers, including free workshops through its outdoor landscaping academy, Los Angeles Outdoor Landscape Academy (LAOLA). LAOLA aims to educate customers on sustainable landscaping strategies such as turf removal, water-efficient irrigation and groundwater infiltration.

Additionally, the utility offers rebates and incentive programs that encourage efficient water use and sustainable landscaping for residential and business customers, including rebates for appliances and irrigation equipment. Customers can also take advantage of free water conservation equipment, like faucet aerators, showerheads and toilet leak detection dye tablets.

These water conservation efforts can go a long way. In fact, L.A.’s current per capita water is among one of the lowest in any major U.S. city.

Show Your Utility Customers the Benefits of Conserving Water

Water conservation is a collective effort, requiring effort from utilities and their customers. Utilities must be willing to work diligently to educate customers about the benefits of conserving water. In doing so, utilities will encourage and empower its customers to be active participants in preserving this important community resource. Together, utilities and customers can share the load in reducing water usage.

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Leveraging Smart Meter Data for Enhanced Customer Communications

Smart devices have changed the way we interact with technology, and smart meters are no exception. Gone are the days when analog meters would only show how much energy was used, and monthly bills could offer little to help homeowners and businesses truly understand their power consumption. Now, smart meter data puts the power into customers’ hands by providing detailed, actionable information on their energy usage.

Chart listing the data capabilities of utility smart meters

Data capabilities of smart meters

Power consumption subdivided by devices and times
Grid health insight and power quality
Real-time notifications and remote control
Flexible utility services

Smart meters can monitor how much power customers are currently using, how many kilowatt-hours they’ve used, and even which devices are using that electricity. Basic data is shared with customers, allowing them to analyze their energy habits. Additionally, smart meter data is shared with utilities to provide insightful feedback and tailored energy savings suggestions.

But did you know that this powerful two-way connection can benefit both utilities and their customers in other ways? Real-time, accurate data can be used for much more than just monthly energy check-ins at the end of each billing cycle.

Unlocking the Potential of Smart Meter Data

As more utilities and their customers switch to advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), more data about individual energy use and the overall grid will be available. As a result, the capabilities of managing consumption will only expand.

Chart illustrating how the smart grid shares data between the utility and customers

This data also offers utilities a nonintrusive way to learn more about their customers and better tailor services to each individual. Read on to learn how to use smart meter data — including energy consumption patterns, peak demand times, load profiles and more — to strengthen your utility’s relationships with homeowners and businesses.

3 ways to enhance customer communications with smart meter data

1. Energy education and programs

Customer usage data, especially concerning specific appliances, can inform utilities on areas where more education could be useful. While many large-scale studies on energy use may take months or even years to produce usable data that can influence programs, real-time smart meter data is transmitted in minutes.

Accurate bills and reliable forecasts can help customers on a monetary level. These numbers can be used by the utility to make tailored recommendations for energy savings. But, that’s not all. For example, if a customer uses appliances inefficiently, such as leaving large electronics on all night, smart meter data can offer insight on what programs or rate plans could benefit them.

2. Customer segmentation

The more your utility learns about customers and how they use energy, the better it can segment them based on needs, preferences and behaviors. Utilities can use these learnings to tailor offers and services accordingly.

For example, customers with old, inefficient appliances could benefit from information about potential rebates available on new appliances purchased. A customer who uses most of their energy during off-peak hours could benefit from information about time-of-use rate plans.

Illustration demonstrating how utilities use smart meter data to improve customer communications about appliance use

Depending on how customers respond to initial interest emails, your utility may be able to send even more tailored communications in the future.

3. Grid resilience + reliability

Did you know that the American electric grid is more than 100 years old? Though it’s seen quite a few infrastructure updates since then, very few have had as much impact as smart technology.

Smart meters are just a part of a larger, connected system that makes up the smart grid, which uses renewable energy systems and other advanced equipment to increase the strength and reliability of electricity.

Data received from smart meters provide insight into the current load placed on the grid, especially if the capacity is nearing its limit. High-demand periods can typically be predicted before they occur, and potential outages can be detected and even prevented thanks to the data gathered by this smart system.

By understanding your customers’ needs, your utility can provide tips and information to help them better manage their energy use, strengthening your relationship with customers.

Challenges of Using Smart Meter Data

Though the number of smart meter installations is steadily climbing each year, that doesn’t mean that all customers immediately accept the new technology. Security concerns have been the source of fear for quite a few years, especially when it comes to fears that utilities will use that information in unwanted ways. Providing answers to customer questions is crucial to maintaining a trusting relationship.

Common concerns among customers include the accuracy and privacy of their smart meter data.

1. Accuracy

After decades of trust in analog meters, some customers have questions concerning the accuracy of smart meters when it comes to measuring energy use.

Customers can rest easy knowing all meter manufacturers are required to test for accuracy and provide those results, proving that they follow the performance standards set by the American National Standards Institute. Before a meter ever reaches a customer’s property, it has been tested multiple times to ensure it will provide on-the-mark measurements.

Plus, real-time data transmission between the meter and utility keeps everyone in the loop and can immediately cause an alert if any part of the system is malfunctioning.

2. Privacy

Data security may be the most common concern with most new technology, and smart meters are no exception.

Advanced security and encryption technology are used by utilities to protect customer data, and smart meters fall under that same level of protection. Unless a customer has other smart devices or an energy management system that can break down usage by appliance, utilities will only receive data concerning how much energy is used and at what time.

Customers can customize their smart meter experience based on their personal preferences and choose to keep detailed information private. Communication is key to ensure customers that their data will be safe with smart meters.

Illustration showing how the smart grid utilizes data from different customers

Use Smart Meter Data to Strengthen Customer Relationships

Data collection has become standard across many industries, and not all of it is used for good. Maintaining a strong, trusting relationship requires handling all data safely and securely, and walking a fine line between providing valuable suggestions and overstepping boundaries.

Learning more about your customers through smart meter data is an effective way to determine what services they could use most and to build programs that serve these needs.

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Why Your Time-of-Use Promotions Aren’t Working

Energy utilities are making strides to improve grid resilience, increase renewable energy sources and give customers more rate plan options than ever before. As a result, utility time-of-use promotions are ramping up across the country.

According to Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC) research, only 28% of customers are aware they have rate plan options and less than 50% of customers know what kind of rate plan they have. Promoting time-of-use rates (TOU) requires a strategic approach to help customers understand the “how,” “what” and “why” of alternative rate plans. Yet, the message is often not getting through to customers.

This leads to an important question: Why aren’t your TOU promotions working? The reality is that it’s not easy to encourage customers to switch to a new rate plan. It requires a solid foundation of information and education before you can even launch the adoption campaign to get customers to convert. Here are four reasons why your utility time-of-use promotions might not be successful — and how you can improve them.

4 Reasons Your Utility Time-of-Use Promotions Might Not Be Successful

You aren’t equipping customers with TOU education
You aren’t segmenting your TOU promotions
You aren’t focusing on the right TOU benefits
You aren’t helping customers maximize savings on TOU

Reason #1: You aren’t equipping customers with TOU education

First and foremost, customers are looking for trustworthy and transparent information on alternative rate plans. Residential time-of-use rates are a brand-new concept for most customers, and they are looking for a trusted energy advisor to help them understand their options. That’s why utilities need to create a variety of TOU educational resources and make them easily accessible to customers.

“That’s the one thing we always see in our research — their utility is the first place a customer goes to find energy-related information,” says Nathan Shannon, President and CEO of SECC. “Utilities need to make their websites more intuitive and consumer-friendly so customers can easily find TOU information. Once customers know they have rate plan options, 70% said they would be interested in signing up for one of them.”

SECC recommends creating an array of TOU educational materials for customers, including videos, fact sheets, articles, infographics, email campaigns, direct mail and social media posts. Utilities are more likely to reach younger generations through videos and social media, while older customers may be more reachable through direct mail and articles.

“There is always a move toward more digital communications, whether video, infographics or social media,” Shannon says. “But the reality is customers are still opening their mail and looking at their bill inserts, even millennials. That’s why it’s essential to have a multichannel approach in utility time-of-use promotions.”

Reason #2: You aren’t segmenting your TOU promotions

To connect with customers, utility time-of-use promotions must be relevant to their needs, and interests. Instead of sending one marketing email to a mass audience, segmentation is a must in today’s world of hyper-personalization, allowing you to address the preferences of different groups of customers. Think of any streaming service, ecommerce website or mobile app — they are designed to be as personalized and relevant to the individual as possible.

Utilities need to take advantage of the customer data available to them, notably smart meter data. With this information, TOU promotions can be segmented by groups of customers, like homeowners, renters, EV owners, customers with high energy usage, and more. You can even segment based on how engaged a customer is with utility programs and services. Those with greater engagement are more likely to try new services, like TOU rate plans.

“With smart meter data, you can tell if a customer owns an electric vehicle based on if they consistently have peak demand at night while they are charging,” Shannon says. “With this knowledge, you can send information on TOU rates and EV charger rebates. Utilities must use the data they do have to customize promotions to specific groups of customers.”

For its TOU promotions, Fayetteville Public Works Commission utilized targeted messaging to reach customers who were EV owners or potential adopters. The utility took advantage of analytics to identify residential customers who showed a propensity for EV adoption. Fayetteville PWC also reached out to EV clubs and car dealerships in its service territory.

“Try to keep it as simple as possible,” explains Lamont Hinson, Community Relations Associate at Fayetteville PWC, in a Questline Digital webinar. “We try to break down those ‘journalistic W’s’ so explaining what’s happening, why it’s happening, when it’s happening, and how the customer could potentially benefit from it.”

Reason #3: You aren’t focusing on the right TOU benefits

TOU marketing messages should focus on the benefits that resonate most with customer values. SECC found that most customers care first and foremost about energy costs.

According to SECC’s survey “Alleviating Americans’ Energy Burdens,” a quarter of all Americans — and 34% of those earning under $50,000 per year — report having struggled to pay their electric bills over the past 12 months.

To encourage participation, utility time-of-use promotions should illustrate the potential savings offered by an alternative rate plan. Customers are very literal and want to know exactly how much they could save if they make the switch.

“We’ve seen throughout our consumer research that consumers highly value personalized, concrete benefits that they will receive, and tools like bill calculators with the customer’s energy usage data included can help with this,” Shannon says. “Further, utilities can help mitigate high bills through bill protection for the first six months or year.”

Saving money isn’t the only thing that matters to customers. Being in control of their energy usage is extremely important, especially with the rise of smart meters and smart home technology. With the ability to control when they use large amounts of energy, a TOU rate plan means customers are also in control of how much they can save.

“Control, cost and comfort are the three words that resonate very well with customers,” Shannon says. “Saving money and being a good steward of energy is important, but there are times when customers want to have that control to be comfortable in their home.”

Many consumers also want to know about the environmental benefits of participating in a new rate plan or utility program. According to Shannon, “clean energy” and “renewable energy” are terms that resonate well with most customers in utility time-of-use promotions.

“Our Simply Sustainable and Green Pioneers customer segments are highly motivated by environmental benefits and would be encouraged to enroll in a TOU plan if these are made clear,” he explains.

Reason #4: You aren’t helping customers maximize savings on TOU

Getting a customer to switch to an alternative rate plan isn’t the end of your TOU campaign — it’s just the beginning. To ensure success, utilities need to communicate with customers to make sure they understand their new rate plan and that they are making the most of it.

For example, utility time-of-use promotions should educate customers on common high energy-consuming appliances to avoid during peak demand times. A large Northeast energy utility provides a helpful infographic in TOU marketing emails highlighting home appliances that consume the most energy. This gives customers a visual reminder of what appliances to pay attention to when making energy usage choices.

You should also provide advice to help customers change their energy behaviors, like doing a load of laundry with your morning coffee or running the dishwasher before you go to bed. These simple tips can make a tremendous difference for customers who need to make small swaps in their daily routine.

Educate and Build Trust with Utility Time-of-Use Promotions

Marketing time-of-use rates can be a challenge for energy utilities, requiring ongoing communications with customers. However, improving utility time-of-use promotions is possible with the right strategy. By serving as a trusted energy advisor, utilities can help customers reduce energy usage — and save money — on TOU plans. By sharing helpful educational resources, segmented messages and detailed savings information, utilities can go a long way to encourage TOU participation.

“In general, I would say keep it simple for most consumers,” Shannon says. “Customers are really interested more in the concrete benefits to them and their communities, and since this is a new area for many people, communications should focus on what actions customers need to take and what benefits they’ll receive.”

Improve your utility’s time-of-use promotions with educational content and a strategic engagement campaign from Questline Digital.

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