Large commercial and industrial (C&I) customers — also known as key accounts — expect more from their utility than just reliable power. These organizations face complex challenges, from meeting sustainability targets to navigating evolving regulations.
As a result, they’re looking to their utility not just as a service provider, but as a strategic partner. One who understands the unique demands of their business, offering personalized guidance and meaningful support for their energy goals.
For energy providers, this expectation means moving beyond transactional communications and focusing on building long-term customer relationships. Here are a few best practices to help your utility effectively engage key account customers.
Understand their business — and priorities
Every key account is different. From manufacturers to hospitals to university campuses, each business has its own goals, challenges and energy needs. That’s why utility key account managers must take the time to understand what matters most to these businesses.
Questions to consider:
- Are they focused on energy efficiency or decarbonization goals?
- Do they need support for electrification, electric vehicle (EV) charging or peak demand management?
- Are they expanding operations or building new facilities?
- Is cost predictability or power quality a concern?
- Are they aware of helpful rebates, incentives or efficiency programs?
Familiarity with a customer’s industry, facility operations, pain points and key performance indicators allows account managers to move beyond generic recommendations and offer truly tailored energy solutions.
“Every business we serve has different priorities — some are focused on lowering their energy costs while others are working toward aggressive sustainability goals,” says Faviola Donato-Galindo, Manager of Large Accounts at Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE). “Our job is to ask the right questions, listen closely and tailor solutions that align with their unique operations. That’s the first step to building long-term, trusted partnerships.”
For example, a manufacturing plant with high peak demand may benefit from demand response programs and real-time usage insights, while a hospital may prioritize energy reliability and backup power systems. By understanding these unique needs, account managers can proactively suggest helpful programs, tools and technologies.
Support sustainability and energy goals
More large businesses are setting ambitious sustainability targets — and they are looking to their utility for guidance. Whether it’s reaching net-zero goals, improving operational efficiency or complying with state and federal sustainability mandates, businesses want a utility partner that understands their vision and can help them achieve it.
This growing demand presents a prime opportunity for key account managers to deepen relationships by becoming trusted energy advisors. When you proactively offer tailored solutions and resources, you demonstrate that your utility is invested in their long-term success.
Here are a few ways key account managers can help:
- Recommend energy efficiency upgrades and rebates: Guide customers to relevant programs that reduce consumption and improve ROI, from lighting retrofits to HVAC optimization and building automation systems.
- Promote renewable energy solutions: Whether it’s green power programs, onsite solar or community solar, helping businesses incorporate renewable energy supports both their goals and yours.
- Share educational content: Provide insights and resources on key topics like ESG reporting, carbon footprint reduction and beneficial electrification to help customers stay ahead of evolving sustainability requirements.
For Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), the company’s mission is to serve as trusted energy advisors to business customers in order to “meet and exceed their needs through strategic partnership, proactive assistance, meaningful innovation and relevant communications.”
According to Donato-Galindo, the BGE Key Account Services team focuses on proactive outreach to key accounts, helping the team stay one step ahead, whether it’s promoting relevant energy efficiency programs or connecting business customers to vetted sustainability vendors.
“The role of key account manager is rapidly evolving. Before, it was more of a reactive role in terms of meeting the customer’s needs,” Donato-Galindo says. “But now, we are being proactive and helping customers with their carbon reduction goals. They need our help in making sure they are meeting Maryland’s ambitious Climate Pollution Reduction Plan.”
Establish ongoing, proactive touchpoints
Key account managers shouldn’t wait until a problem arises to reach out to their customers. Proactive, ongoing communication helps demonstrate your utility’s commitment to the relationship. A personalized approach — not one-size-fits-all messaging — helps large customers feel understood and supported.
A monthly key account newsletter delivers a particularly effective touchpoint. Unlike one-off emails or sporadic check-ins, a regular newsletter keeps your utility top of mind and reinforces your role as a trusted energy partner for business customers.
Newsletters are a key driver of higher customer satisfaction and building stronger relationships over time. In fact, according to Questline Digital’s 2025 Utility Benchmarks Report data, key account newsletter readers click on promotional emails at an 87% higher rate.
With each monthly edition, utilities have the opportunity to:
- Provide valuable insights on market trends, energy efficiency strategies and emerging technologies relevant to large businesses.
- Promote relevant utility programs and incentives tailored to commercial and industrial customers.
- Share customer success stories to highlight peer examples and foster a sense of community.
- Offer timely updates on rate changes, infrastructure improvements or policy changes that could affect business operations.
“To stay ahead of our customers’ needs, we take a proactive approach to engagement,” Donato-Galindo says. “One important way we do this is through consistent outreach, including our monthly newsletter. This communication serves as an important platform for sharing timely updates and valuable information with our key accounts.”
Connect through events and webinars
Face-to-face interactions and educational opportunities offer one of the most impactful ways to deepen relationships with key account customers. By creating dedicated spaces for discussion, education and collaboration, your utility can strengthen its role as a strategic energy partner for large businesses.
BGE hosts Customer Connections events throughout the year, providing key account customers with valuable opportunities to engage directly with utility leadership. These events offer large business customers the chance to meet utility leaders, ask questions and share feedback in a more personalized setting.
“We regularly connect BGE executives with our large business customers so they can learn about their pain points, challenges and opportunities,” says Calvin Little, Manager of Large Accounts at BGE. “This helps us to come up with unique solutions for each customer since hospitals, colleges and local governments all have very different energy needs.”
At a recent event, BGE brought together leaders from two local hospital systems for a conversation focused on resiliency, sustainability and storm preparedness. Discussions centered around the unique challenges these critical facilities face and how BGE can better support them. “As a critical customer, we want to understand how we can be a more effective and reliable partner,” Little noted.
To gather meaningful insights, the utility also hosts a Smart Energy Council made up of key account customers. This group meets quarterly to exchange ideas, provide feedback on initiatives and discuss emerging needs. The council serves as a valuable forum for the utility to engage directly with its largest customers and gain real-time input to guide strategy and decision-making.
Educational webinars are another valuable tool for connecting and informing key accounts. Whether you’re introducing a new rate plan, explaining evolving state sustainability requirements or showcasing innovative technologies, webinars allow utilities to engage customers at scale. They also demonstrate your utility’s commitment to helping businesses stay ahead of industry trends and meet operational goals.
For example, BGE hosted a webinar to educate large commercial customers about new state regulations, known as the Building Energy Performance Standards, which apply to buildings 30,000 square feet or larger. The event drew more than 300 attendees from across the utility’s managed accounts, showcasing strong interest and engagement.
“The feedback we received after the webinar was very positive, with customers thanking us for keeping them informed about these new state requirements,” Little says. “As their energy provider, we play a vital role in helping business customers navigate these new regulations.”
Building better business relationships
Strong relationships with key accounts don’t happen by chance — they’re built through consistent and valuable communications. Taking the time to personalize, educate and proactively engage with your key accounts will pay dividends in customer satisfaction, program participation and mutually beneficial partnerships.
Need help reaching your business customers more effectively?
Questline Digital offers business newsletter services, email templates and educational content to help your utility strengthen key account relationships year-round.