Digital Marketing Archives - Questline Digital

Best Practices for Utility Email Deliverability and Engagement

Utility email marketing remains an essential communication channel. However, with evolving email service provider (ESP) requirements and changing customer expectations, maintaining strong email deliverability will require a strategic approach in 2025.

Discover these email trends for utilities that ensure messages reach inboxes and engage customers.

Enhancing Email Deliverability

For utility companies, strong email deliverability ensures that critical information reaches customers promptly, ensuring trust and engagement.

ESPs like Gmail and Yahoo are tightening their standards, making it more challenging for email senders who aren’t following best practices to reach inboxes. They are placing greater emphasis on authentication protocols to combat phishing and spam – with the goal of creating a safer and more user-friendly email experience. However, these changes are making it more challenging for large email senders.

Companies that send 5,000 or more emails daily to Gmail or Yahoo accounts must comply with new requirements to improve email security and the user experience. These protocols will be essential to follow in utility email marketing initiatives in 2025.

Example of large email sender requirements for utility marketing

Large email senders are now required to:

Implement authentication protocols: Implement Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) to verify email authenticity and protect your company from spoofing.
Send only wanted emails: Ensure your email lists are up-to-date and focus on sending relevant, consent-based communications to avoid being flagged as spam.
Simplify the unsubscribe process: Make it easy for recipients to opt out with a one-click unsubscribe option, reinforcing trust and respecting user preferences.

In the past, simply providing an opt-out option and ensuring proper domain registration and authentication were often enough to maintain email deliverability. However, new ESP requirements mean that senders must go beyond the basics with utility email marketing.

“The email landscape is changing – inbox providers are trying to fight for market share and they’re also trying to lower the cost of infrastructure to run a large inbox service,” says Jeremy Harning, Vice President of Technology at Questline Digital. “When you have tens of thousands of businesses blasting emails every minute, that’s a lot of computing power. That’s why they are trying to tackle the issue from two sides – the user perspective and email sender perspective.”

Strengthening Sender Reputation

Sender reputation remains a key factor in utility email marketing. Utilities must proactively monitor their email reputation, ensure compliance with changing regulations and prioritize subscriber engagement to maintain a strong sender reputation.

Strong sender authentication protocols like DMARC, DKIM and SPF will be more critical than ever, while maintaining a clean email list will play a key role in avoiding spam filters. These protocols are essential email authentication methods that verify whether an email truly originates from the domain it claims.

When it comes to utility email optimization, marketers should regularly update their email lists to remove inactive subscribers and ensure that their data integration tools are robust. Accurate data enhances personalization efforts and improves deliverability rates.

“Prioritizing customers who regularly interact with email is going to make a tremendous difference for your email deliverability,” says Molly Dannaher, Application Director at Questline Digital. “This is going to implicitly weed out those who are marking your emails as SPAMs as well as hard bounces. Inactive subscribers who haven’t opened or clicked on your emails need to be taken off of your list. Utilities should be cleaning their lists at least every year.”

According to Dannaher, re-engagement campaigns can be particularly helpful for improving email for utilities. These campaigns reach out to inactive subscribers with personalized content or an option to update their email preferences. This is a great way to re-engage inactive subscribers or remove them from your email list altogether to improve deliverability.

Utilities should maintain a strong sender score by:

Using a confirmed opt-in process: Ensure customers explicitly consent to receive emails to reduce spam complaints.
Keep your email list clean: Regularly remove invalid email addresses, bounces and inactive subscribers.
Segment your audience: Send targeted, relevant content based on customer preferences and behaviors to boost engagement.
Monitor engagement rates: Track open rates, click-through rates and spam complaints — and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Provide an easy unsubscribe option: Ensure your opt-out process is simple and accessible to minimize spam complaints.

Why Personalization is Paramount

One of the top email trends for utilities, personalization is essential for ensuring strong engagement and avoiding the promotions tab. ESPs are prioritizing user engagement more than ever, meaning emails that receive low open rates, minimal interaction or high unsubscribe rates are more likely to be filtered out.

Utility marketers can improve inbox placement by delivering content that aligns with subscriber interests, behaviors and preferences. Personalization can help create emails that feel tailored to each recipient, increasing engagement and signaling to ESPs that your messages are valuable. The more relevant your utility email marketing, the better your utility’s chances of landing in the primary inbox and building stronger customer relationships.

“If you end up in the promotions tab, you don’t get an undelivered message – the only way you know you’ve been ‘promo-boxed’ is plummeting open rates and click-through rates,” Harning says. “Deliverability won’t be negatively affected, but you’ll see your engagement rates take more hits. Low engagement rates equal getting promo-boxed, which equals lower engagement rates, and the cycle continues.”

Example of best practices for utility email marketing

Email personalization best practices include:

Segmenting email lists based on customer behavior, energy usage and preferences.
Using dynamic content to tailor messaging, such as including relevant energy-saving tips based on a customer’s past behavior.
Email content and design: Relevant, personalized and well-formatted content encourages engagement and reduces spam complaints.
Automating email journeys to send timely messages, such as outage notifications and personalized billing reminders.

Privacy Should Be a Priority

To maintain trust and credibility among customers, it’s essential to balance personalization with privacy considerations in utility email marketing.

Utilities can strike a balance between personalization and privacy by using data responsibly and transparently. By leveraging customer preferences, such as communication channels, language choices and service interests, utilities can tailor email content without overstepping boundaries.

It’s crucial to only use information that customers have willingly shared and to clearly explain how their data is being used to enhance their experience. Implementing robust security measures and giving customers control over their preferences — like updating their contact details or opting in to specific programs — builds trust while allowing your utility to deliver relevant content. This thoughtful approach in utility email marketing ensures personalization feels helpful, not intrusive.

By adapting strategies to prioritize privacy-first data and foster genuine customer relationships, utility marketers can continue to drive impactful, measurable results.

Improving Utility Email Marketing with SEO

SEO isn’t just for websites — it’s a powerful tool for improving email for utilities in 2025.

In the past year, Apple Mail Privacy Protection changed email senders’ reliance on open rates as a primary measure of engagement. Now, with Apple’s Mail Categories and Digest View, marketers will be using SEO principles into their utility email marketing strategies more than ever before.

Apple’s new Digest View automatically groups multiple emails from the same sender into a single expandable thread in a user’s inbox. This allows subscribers to easily scan content without having to open each individual message.

With this new feature, it’s vital for utilities to craft SEO-based emails that stand out in a bundled inbox. To capture attention, each email should have a clear, keyword-rich subject line and preheader that reflect what customers are actively searching for, such as “Lower Your Energy Bill This Winter” or “Rebate Programs for EV Owners.”

Within the email body, structuring content with scannable headers, bullet points and relevant keywords keeps readers engaged and makes key information easy to find. Utilities should also prioritize the most important information in the first few lines of the email. These SEO principles are key for improving email for utilities.

“Incorporating SEO into utility emails isn’t just about boosting open rates — it’s about meeting customers where they are, with the information they’re actively searching for,” Harning says. “By aligning email content with customer interests and search behaviors, utilities can create more relevant, engaging experiences.”

Example of SEO tips for utility email marketing

Consider these SEO best practices for utility email optimization:

Write clear, compelling subject lines that encourage opens.
Use alt text for images so recipients understand the message even if images don’t load.
Ensure mobile-friendly design to improve readability and engagement on all devices.

By weaving SEO principles into utility email marketing campaigns, utilities can better connect with their audiences, delivering timely, valuable content that drives engagement and action.

Email Deliverability Meets Engagement

As utilities navigate the changing landscape of utility email marketing in 2025, success will come from striking the right balance between performance, personalization and privacy. By embracing these email trends for utilities, marketers can navigate the complexities of email deliverability, building trust and providing value with every email sent.

Learn how Questline Digital can help your utility implement these email deliverability best practices into your marketing communications.

Learn More

How to Effectively Educate Customers about Smart Meters

Smart meters are a game-changer for both utilities and customers, enabling real-time energy monitoring, improved efficiency and faster outage detection. However, smart meter implementation often comes with challenges, including customer skepticism, misinformation and lack of awareness about benefits.

To ensure a smooth rollout and widespread adoption, utility marketers must implement a strategic smart meter communication plan to educate customers before and after installation.

Smart Meters by the Numbers

According to the most recent data, the number of smart meters in North America reached more than 146 million with a penetration rate of approximately 80%. This rate is expected to increase to more than 94% by 2029.

“With smart meter penetration reaching approximately 80%, utilities have an unprecedented opportunity to enhance grid reliability, improve outage response and provide customers with real-time energy insights,” says Blair Bryce, Marketing Manager at Smar t Works, a company that provides meter data management and analytics solutions. “Effective smart meter communication is crucial because it helps customers understand the benefits, fosters trust and empowers them to take control of their energy usage.”

This rapid expansion underscores the importance of effective smart meter education. Proactive communication strategies can help build customer trust and acceptance, ensuring the successful integration of smart meters into grid infrastructure.

Proactive Communications Before Installation

Before installation begins, utilities should launch comprehensive smart meter communications to inform customers about benefits of this important technology and address any potential concerns. These campaigns should utilize multiple communication channels, including email, social media, direct mail and community events, to ensure broad reach and engagement.

Utilities should proactively answer common customer questions, such as how smart meters impact privacy, data security and energy costs. Additionally, hearing from real customers who have benefited from smart meters can be more persuasive than corporate messaging alone. When it comes to smart meter education, sharing testimonials, case studies or video stories can help build trust and credibility.

“Proactive communication before smart meter installation is essential to ensure customers feel informed and confident about the process,” Bryce says. “By addressing potential concerns, explaining the benefits and setting clear expectations, utilities can create a smoother transition for customers.”

Proactive campaigns should communicate key smart meter benefits:

Increased billing accuracy: No more estimated bills — smart meters provide precise, real-time readings.
Energy usage insights: Customers can track their usage patterns and make informed decisions to save energy and money.
Faster outage detection and restoration: Smart meters automatically alert utilities to outages, leading to quicker response times.

For example, Duke Energy, a North Carolina-based energy holding company, created an interactive webpage with an explainer video, FAQs and customer testimonials that clarified how smart meters work and addressed common concerns. The explainer video, also available on the utility’s YouTube channel, explained how smart meters work in consumer-friendly language.

In addition to highlighting smart meter benefits, it’s also important to educate customers about the smart meter installation process. When customers understand what to expect — from the timeline to installation procedures — they are more likely to embrace the change with confidence. Avista, which provides electric and natural gas service to four Northwestern states, shared a helpful video on their website about what customers can expect from their upcoming installation and what they can do to ensure a smooth process.

Thumbnail of video about smart meter installation

Hosting informational town halls, webinars and live Q&A sessions can also be an effective way to address customer concerns in real time. New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) held a series of informational open houses where customers could ask questions about smart meter installations and receive direct responses from company representatives. It was also an opportunity for customers to learn about helpful resources to lower energy costs.

Not all customers have the same concerns or level of understanding about smart meters. Some may be excited about the convenience and real-time energy insights, while others may have privacy concerns or simply prefer traditional meters. For effective smart meter education, utilities should tailor messaging based on demographics, energy usage habits, customer sentiment, among other characteristics.

Tech-savvy customers might appreciate advanced data insights and app integrations.
Budget-conscious households may be more receptive to energy-saving tips and bill optimization.
Privacy-conscious customers need reassurances about data security and usage policies.

By using customer segmentation, utilities can create targeted smart meter communications that address specific concerns and motivations. Providing clear, transparent and customer-centric messaging fosters greater understanding and helps drive adoption of smart meters.

Addressing Skeptical or Hesitant Customers

Despite the benefits of smart meters, some customers remain hesitant to make the switch. Addressing customer concerns in smart meter education requires a mix of factual information, customer testimonials and third-party endorsements.

“For the majority of customers still hesitant — typically the ‘laggards’ in the adoption curve — it’s important to provide additional support, answer questions and emphasize how smart meters can improve both their convenience and cost savings,” Bryce says. “By fostering understanding and trust, utilities can help ease the transition for reluctant adopters.”

When it comes to the transition to smart meters, transparency is key. Utilities should clearly communicate how data is collected, stored and used as well as cybersecurity measures in place to protect data. Utilities should also share research from trusted sources, such as government agencies or energy experts, validating smart meter safety and efficiency.

As PSE&G neared the end of the installation phase of its Smart Meter program, there were customers who did not have a smart meter installed because of access issues, or because they had opted out of the program entirely. PSE&G targeted these two groups of customers with a letter and email campaign that encouraged them to make a smart meter installation appointment or to opt back into the program. In both instances, customers were directed to the utility’s smart meter webpage where they could learn in detail about the many smart meter benefits they were forgoing.

“In addition to encouraging these customers to take the extra step to schedule an installation appointment or reconsider their opt-out decision, we also wanted to remind customers about the positives that smart meters offer,” says Francis Sullivan, Campaign Manager for PSE&G. “All the letters and emails encouraged customers to visit our smart meter webpage that had detailed information about smart meters, what to expect from the installation process and FAQs.”

This approach encourages immediate action, demonstrating the importance of transparent and persuasive smart meter education in driving adoption. As the utility continues to replace existing electric meters with smart meters, PSE&G shares ongoing smart meter education. For example, customers can find answers to frequently asked questions and other information about smart meters in the utility’s monthly newsletter, EnergyLink.

Example of a utility webpage showing smart meter communication

Engaging Customers After Installation

The success of smart meter adoption doesn’t stop at installation — it requires ongoing education and outreach. To maximize the impact of smart meters, utilities must continue engaging with customers, ensuring they understand how to use smart meter tools, access resource and take advantage of the benefits.

“Sending follow-up communications after smart meter installation is key to helping customers fully embrace the benefits of this new technology,” Bryce says. “By sharing valuable tools like energy usage insights and personalized recommendations, utilities empower customers to make informed decisions, optimize their energy consumption and ultimately save money.”

Post-installation smart meter communications should:

Promote smart meter tools: Encourage customers to explore online tools where they can track their energy usage, set usage alerts and receive personalized energy-saving tips. Providing easy-to-follow video tutorials or FAQs can help customers navigate these digital resources.
Encourage energy-saving behaviors: Smart meters empower customers to make informed decisions about their energy use. Share tips on how to reduce consumption during peak hours and optimize home appliances.
Gather and act on customer feedback: Customer input is invaluable for refining your smart meter communication strategy. Conduct surveys or invite feedback through customer service channels to understand their experience with smart meters and identify areas for improvement.

For example, PSE&G shares smart meter education to customers post-installation. Promotions are currently focused on the utility’s MyMeterportal, which gives customers a detailed view of how they use energy. The portal also provides a number of tools and resources to help them save energy and money.

“Having a smart meter installed at a home or business is really only half the story. To get the most out of the device, our electric customers need to know about and access the MyMeter portal,” Sullivan says. “That’s why our focus for the past several months has been on educating customers about all the ways MyMeter can help them, whether it’s checking their usage patterns, setting a usage alert of even using the built-in rate comparison tool for our residential customers.”

Example of a utility smart meter dashboard

The Path Forward

Smart meters are an essential component of modern energy management, but their successful adoption depends on transparent and customer-centric smart meter education.

By proactively educating customers before installation, addressing skepticism with credible information and providing engaging tools post-installation, utility marketers can ensure a smoother transition and maximize the benefits of this advanced technology.

Ready to transform your utility’s smart meter communications? Let Questline Digital help you craft impactful campaigns that resonate with your customers.

Learn More

Top Marketing Trends for Utilities in 2025

This is shaping up to be a transformative year for the utility industry.

With advancements in technology, more personalized content and a greater focus on energy equity, utility marketers have the opportunity to build stronger customer relationships than ever before in 2025.

It’s a new year — and that means a fresh start to your marketing strategy. Discover the top utility industry trends shaping the future of utility communications in 2025 and beyond.

Meeting Customer Expectations With Hyper-Convenience

In today’s fast-paced world, customers increasingly seek greater convenience from every company they interact with, whether their favorite online retailer or energy provider.

Consumers demand services that are easy, fast and tailored to their needs and preferences. This trend, known as hyper-convenience, will continue to gain momentum as customers become accustomed to more convenient and streamlined experiences.

To keep up, energy providers must incorporate utility industry trends into their marketing strategies and provide outstanding customer experiences, from personalized communications to easy access to programs, services and resources.

Graphic listing examples of utility hyper-convenience from industry trends

Examples of utility hyper-convenience include:

Multichannel engagement: Engaging with utility customers through their preferred channels, whether a mobile app, website, text message or voice assistant.
One-click transactions: Adopting simple, user-friendly processes for everything from bill payment to program enrollment.
Proactive notifications: Keeping customers informed with real-time updates on outages, energy usage and billing.

Key takeaway: Showcase hyper-convenience initiatives in marketing campaigns to highlight how your utility is simplifying customers’ lives and keeping up with utility industry trends.

According to Matt Buecker, Senior Manager of Marketing and Customer Education at Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE), utilities should focus on making every touchpoint in the customer journey as convenient as possible, from bill pay to program enrollment. Buecker also emphasizes the importance of continuously improving digital experiences to meet ever-changing customer expectations.

“As utilities, we do a lot of things with the goal to improve engagement, like creating an app or building a one-click landing page,” Buecker says. “However, we sometimes forget to come back to the experience and make enhancements. We should always be thinking of ways to expand capabilities and make the digital experience even better.”

For example, BGE makes it easy for customers to move their gas or electric service via their website. Moving is oftentimes a stressful experience, but this online form gives customers one less thing to worry about. Customers can choose from starting, moving or stopping their service. The utility also sends segmented emails to renters around the time their lease may be up for renewal to educate them about this convenient service.

Another example of digital trends in utilities is PSEG Long Island’s MySmartEnergy Portal, which makes it easy for residential and business customers to take control of their energy use. Accessible through the utility’s My Account, the portal allows customers to see their daily, weekly and monthly usage and track potential causes for higher or lower usage, such as weather changes or installing energy-efficient appliances.

Personalizing the Utility Customer Experience

In today’s modern world, personalization goes beyond adding a customer’s name to an email subject line. Utilities use advanced data analytics to deliver content and programs that align with individual preferences.

Examples include sharing energy-saving tips tailored to a customer’s home or sending relevant rebates to electric vehicle owners. One of the most essential utility industry trends in 2025, personalization fosters stronger relationships and higher engagement rates.

Graphic listing the best examples of utility personalization from industry trends

Examples of utility personalization include:

Tailored energy insights: Providing customers with personalized energy reports based on their usage patterns, highlighting opportunities for energy savings and cost reductions.
Custom alerts and notifications: Sending real-time updates about outages, billing due dates and energy usage thresholds tailored to individual customer preferences.
Customized email campaigns: Creating targeted email campaigns addressing customer needs, such as financial assistance programs for eligible households.
Localized content: Sharing updates or promotions relevant to specific neighborhoods or regions, such as new projects or community events.

Key takeaway: Customers expect communications that feel relevant and meaningful. Utilities need to invest in personalization to see improved engagement and loyalty.

Utility industry trends, like personalization, allow utilities to address customer needs, concerns and preferences. BGE marketers recognized that an area of their service territory was experiencing lower customer satisfaction due to outage-related issues. To let customers know they understood their concerns about reliability, BGE created targeted messaging for specific zip codes.

“We were able to identify customers in this part of town and how they consumed media,” Buecker says. “Then we took one of our campaigns centered around what we’re doing in the reliability space and targeted those customers. The campaign, which included emails, social media ads and even traditional media like bus shelter advertising, spoke to how BGE is working to make reliability better in their area.”

Personalization can also be used to better connect customers to valuable resources. FirstEnergy utilized SmartVX to connect with 181,200 customers and simplify complicated financial assistance information. The personalized videos used customer data to deliver highly targeted messages about one or more assistance programs.

Thumbnail image from a case study about personalized video trends for the utility industry

In the first four months of deployment, the videos achieved4,802 call-to-action (CTA) clicks and 10,413 unique video views. FirstEnergy achieved a 6.2% engagement rate in program enrollments in 2024, resulting in a 2% increase in engagement from the previous year.

“We particularly appreciated the ability to personalize the content for each of our income-eligible customers, a feature that significantly enhanced the effectiveness of our outreach,” says Nicole Frankenberry, Assistant Business Analyst at FirstEnergy. “The option to provide information in Spanish was a thoughtful addition, allowing us to better serve our customers and foster inclusion.”

Revolutionizing Customer Engagement With AI

One of the top digital trends in utilities today, Artificial Intelligence (AI), has become a game-changer for how utilities interact with their customers. From personalizing customer experiences to providing self-service options, AI enhances efficiency and satisfaction across the board.

By embracing AI, utilities can build stronger customer relationships, increase operational efficiency and achieve program goals. Utilities that invest in this utility industry trend will be better positioned to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s energy landscape.

Graphic suggesting ways that utilities can use AI to stay ahead of industry trends

By leveraging AI, utilities can:

Deliver personalized experiences: AI helps utilities analyze customer data, such as energy usage patterns, preferences and demographics, to create highly personalized messages.
Enhance efficiency: Manual processes can be time-consuming and prone to error. AI automates routine tasks, like email segmentation, message optimization and data analysis, saving time and improving accuracy.
Drive engagement: AI-powered tools can create compelling, data-driven content that resonates with customers, boosting engagement rates across multiple channels.

Key takeaway: AI empowers utilities to deliver personalized experiences, enhance operational efficiency and drive customer engagement through data-driven insights.

Generative AI, such as ChatGPT and Copilot, can be invaluable utility industry trends for customer-facing communications. Utility marketers often communicate to customers about complex topics containing technical industry lingo. AI can make these complicated topics more understandable and easily digestible to the average customer.

“I think AI is very helpful when it comes to communicating about these complex topics we deal with on a daily basis,” says Alex Trefry, Public Relations Specialist at Colorado Springs Utilities. “For example, you can tell AI to write at a sixth or eighth grade reading level.”

Another example of digital trends in utilities, Colorado Springs Utilities uses AI for sentiment tracking on social media. This tool allows the utility to track customer feelings and attitudes toward marketing campaigns, public service announcements and other social media posts.

“It’s a great way to ensure the messaging we have is on the right track, and if not, discover ways to adjust the tone to better connect with customers,” Trefry says. “There still needs to be that human involvement every step of the way, but it’s very useful for making sure our messages have the impact we intend them to have.”

Example of a social media post from the utility industry

Georgia Power‘s Marketing and Communications team plans to use AI to identify customers with higher bills during peak energy seasons. This utility industry trend will enable the utility to send personalized communications, such as directing eligible customers to energy assistance programs before they seek help.

These proactive communications will provide customers with a positive experience and reduce inquiries to the utility’s call center. AI can also help the utility with marketing tasks at scale, such as pulling customer data (e.g., zip codes, income level) and targeting customers with beneficial programs.

Preparing for the Future

As utility industry trends gain even more momentum in 2025, professionals are embracing these innovative tools and prioritizing customer-centric strategies. From leveraging AI to meeting customer demands for hyper-convenience, utilities are reshaping how they communicate and connect with their customers to build stronger relationships and foster greater trust in an ever-evolving landscape.

Learn how Questline Digital can help your utility incorporate these top trends into your marketing communications.

Learn More

Utility Crisis Communications: Best Practices + Examples

A crisis for a utility isn’t a matter of if, but when. Some emergencies arrive with warning signs, while others strike without notice — severe weather events to power outages and water main breaks. As an essential service provider, you carry a dual responsibility: restoring critical infrastructure and keeping your customers informed every step of the way. This crucial role requires a carefully crafted utility crisis communications plan built on proactive preparation and transparent engagement.

Why Do You Need a Utility Crisis Communications Plan?

Today’s customers expect instant updates and seamless digital experiences. They’ve grown accustomed to the “Amazon experience” — real-time engagement, transparent communication and immediate response to their concerns. This expectation doesn’t change during a crisis for utilities; if anything, it intensifies.

Recent studies have shown that utility crisis communication significantly impacts customer satisfaction and engagement. Utilities that communicate effectively during outages and other emergencies score notably higher in customer satisfaction metrics than those that fall short.

The key to success lies in proactive planning. When emergency situations arise, there’s no time to develop communication strategies from scratch. Having a well-thought-out plan ensures your utility can respond quickly, consistently and effectively when every minute counts.

Crafting a Comprehensive Utility Crisis Communications Plan

Creating an effective utility crisis communications plan requires careful consideration of multiple factors and scenarios. Here’s where to start:

Identify Potential Emergencies

Every utility faces unique risks. Start by categorizing potential emergencies specific to your operations, such as hurricanes, power outages, grid overload or water main breaks. Understanding these potential scenarios allows you to develop targeted response strategies for each type of crisis. For example, a utility in Tampa, Florida, will have different priorities than one in Anchorage, Alaska.

Prepare Effective Messaging

Develop pre-approved message templates for various scenarios. These templates should be easily customizable to address specific situations while maintaining consistent messaging across all channels, like your website, text, email and social media. Additionally, establish protocols for who can approve and distribute communications during a crisis.

Regular staff training ensures everyone understands their role in utility crisis communication. This training should include customer service representatives, social media managers, PR/media relations employees and leadership teams who may need to speak with the media or stakeholders.

Build Trust in Advance

Crisis management begins long before an emergency occurs. Building strong relationships with customers, community leaders and stakeholders during normal operations lays a foundation of trust that proves invaluable during difficult times. Content marketing plays a crucial role in this trust-building process through strategic storytelling across blogs, infographics, videos, social media, email newsletters and webinars — all designed to educate, inform and empower customers.

For example, Oncor used this Facebook post to showcase the hard work and dedication of its teams. The post highlights linemen working in sub-freezing temperatures, demonstrating its commitment to serving customers, even under challenging conditions.

Example of a social media post to communicate power outage restoration times to utility customers

As another example, WSSC Water provided an inside look into its processes by sharing this step-by-step infographic that explains how water main breaks are addressed, from reporting the issue to completing repairs. Offering clear information and setting realistic expectations reassures customers that their concerns are a priority and that workers are prepared to resolve issues quickly.

Example of a social media post to communicate about a water main break with utility customers

Posts like these educate the public and foster a sense of partnership and transparency long before a crisis arises.

Best Practices for Utility Crisis Communications

When implementing your crisis communications plan, following these best practices can ensure effectiveness.

Provide Communications Ahead of a Crisis (When Possible)

When weather forecasts or other indicators suggest the potential for service disruptions, proactive communication helps customers prepare and demonstrates your utility’s readiness. Encourage customers to sign up for outage text alerts or app notifications and share resources like:

Storm preparation checklists
Safety tips
Your outage map
Your mobile app
Updates about severe weather forecasts
How to report an emergency

Duquesne Light Company (DLC) created a Facebook post ahead of dangerously cold temperatures, noting that while widespread outages weren’t expected, DLC would increase staffing and monitor the forecast in preparation. It also provided tips for staying informed and conserving electricity and shared a link to its outage map and details about warming centers.

Example of a social media post for a utility to communicate a severe weather warning to customers

You can also prepare customers for severe weather and potential outages ahead of storm season. Questline Digital has ready-to-use email templates for outage communications to send during the off-seasons.

Communicate Honestly and Quickly

Transparency builds trust. Share accurate and timely information as it becomes available — don’t wait for a specific time, like the top of the hour. Establish a schedule for updates, but also prioritize urgency when new details emerge. Customers value honesty, even when the news isn’t ideal. Be upfront about the scope of the issue, the challenges your team is facing and the realistic timeline for resolution. This level of transparency helps manage expectations and demonstrates accountability.

For example, if a major power outage affects your service area, let customers know the estimated number of impacted households, what caused the outage and the expected restoration timeline. If you don’t have all the answers immediately, acknowledge this and commit to providing updates as soon as possible. Avoid speculation and focus on facts.

Questline Digital can assist utilities in maintaining transparency and timeliness through its Engage platform. This comprehensive solution enables the rapid deployment of communications across multiple channels, ensuring that critical updates reach customers promptly and consistently. Questline Digital also has crisis email templates for before, during and after emergencies or outages.

Ensure the Right Tone

The tone of your communication matters as much as the content. Aim for a clear, honest, humble and apologetic tone. Avoid sounding defensive or dismissive, which can erode trust and escalate frustration. Acknowledge customer concerns with sincerity and empathy while taking responsibility where appropriate.

Rethink Your Channel Strategy

Modern utility crisis communication requires a multichannel approach. Your message should reach customers wherever they are, whether through email, social media, text alerts or your website. Different channels resonate with different audiences, so a diverse strategy increases your ability to connect effectively.

Michigan’s Consumers Energy exemplifies the importance of a comprehensive channel strategy. During a 2019 polar vortex, the utility had a fire at its largest gas compressor station, disrupting natural gas delivery to two-thirds of its customers for two days in the frigid cold. It immediately executed a multichannel crisis communication strategy that included:

Partnering with the governor’s office to deploy emergency text alerts and TV banner messages
Hosting Facebook Live events featuring the CEO and SVP of Operations
Conducting a statewide press conference
Deploying community affairs teams for door-to-door communications with residents

The results speak volumes about the power of a well-executed utility crisis communication plan: Despite the severity of the incident, Consumers Energy earned the No. 1 ranking in customer satisfaction from J.D. Power in the Midwest Region that same year.

Prioritize Accessibility

Inclusivity is a critical aspect of utility crisis communication. Ensure your messaging is accessible to all customers, including those with disabilities or language barriers. Solutions like Questline Digital’s Engage Global Translate simplify this process by offering instant language translations for webpage content and email messages. With support for 134 languages, customers can select and save their preferred language at the click of a button, fostering a more inclusive engagement experience.

Address Customer Feedback

Monitor social media channels and customer feedback closely during crises. Respond promptly to questions and concerns, even if just to acknowledge that you’re investigating an issue. Timely interaction demonstrates active engagement and concern for customer needs while preventing small frustrations from snowballing into larger issues.

Follow Up After the Crisis

Once the immediate crisis has passed, maintain communication with affected customers. Share specifics about how many people were impacted and how quickly service was restored. Offer resources for recovery and demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement. You can also remind customers how to sign up for outage alerts and access the outage map and mobile app, helping them prepare for future emergencies.

Kentucky Power provides an excellent example of comprehensive final crisis updates. Its Winter Storm Blair restoration summary included detailed statistics on the impact (10,735 customers without power), specific repair information (27 crossarms, 33 poles and 401 spans of wire replaced) and clear completion timelines. Beyond sharing numbers, the utility also provided practical resources for ongoing customer support, including cold weather energy usage education, contact details and mobile app information for future outage monitoring.

Example of a social media post for a utility to communicate storm readiness and outage preparation to customers

Building Trust Through Effective Communications

A well-crafted utility crisis communications plan can demonstrate your utility’s commitment to customer service and community welfare. By focusing on proactive engagement, clear messaging and customer empathy, you can maintain trust even during challenging times.

Don’t wait for the next crisis to begin preparing. Start evaluating and strengthening your communication strategy today. Your customers — and your utility’s reputation — will thank you for it.

Learn how digital engagement solutions from Questline Digital will support your utility’s critical communications needs.

Learn More

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.

Learn More