High bills have become a taxing topic for energy utility customers. Previously, customers could chalk it up to high or low extreme temperatures. However, the weather is no longer the sole cause of high bills and soaring energy costs. Instead, numerous events are impacting energy prices nationwide. These price increases, in turn, hit customers’ bills and leave them to wonder why their bills have doubled or tripled in the past year.
“It’s a very emotional topic for customers who see that bill at the end of the month and weren’t expecting such a high cost,” says Morgan Kriley, Customer Experience Associate for Duquesne Light Company during a recent webinar. “A lot of customers are calling in and wondering what they can do. Some customers even think it’s their meter’s fault.”
Utilities everywhere are deciphering the best strategy to connect with their customers and assist with high bills. Some lean toward empathy, while others focus on transparency. The best plan, however, includes both.
We Are All Utility Customers
Utilities need to take a step back and assess at the situation from their customers’ point of view. As utility industry professionals, we know that the rising energy prices are in response to numerous events, like the supply chain shortages, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the surge in price of natural gas. Customers, though, may not know this information.
“Given the environment, many of us are high bill customers. We’re all experiencing inflationary pressures,” says Shantel Johnson, Senior Marketing Manager for Entergy, during the same webinar as Kriley.
Without having the background knowledge that we do, customers may see an increase in their energy bills and feel threatened or angry at their utility. This is why high bill communications are so important.
We are all customers in our own right and know how jarring unexpected price increases can feel. It's important we bring customers into the know and help them understand not only why these price increases are occurring, but what they can do to help themselves save both energy and money.
Entergy understood the need to communicate proactively to its customers and emboldened its strategies with the motto, “Temps are up. Costs are up. So, we’re stepping up.”
“The goal overall was to drive awareness of the new solutions that we are offering to customers during this difficult time,” says Johnson. “We’re looking at this collectively, but also on a state-by-state basis. It’s interesting to see those states who have programs in the market and are full force marketing those efforts to customers — there is a difference in positive perceptions among those that we are actively offering these programs. It does make a positive difference working in advance to communicate to customers what you’re doing to assist them during conflict season.”
Lead with empathy and follow with transparency. Let customers know that your utility feels their frustrations. Provide education and resources to help customers lower their energy bills or prepare for future high bills.
Then explain why the high bills are occurring. Give detailed explanations – don’t make customers search elsewhere for the answers your utility already has.
Empathize, then Empower
High bill campaigns are meant to put the power back in customers’ hands, providing them with the tools and resources they need to save money and energy.
For Duquesne Light Company, setting the utility up as customers’ Trusted Energy Partner guided its program strategies.
“The driver of our high bill campaign communications was primarily empathy followed by education and action-oriented steps,” says Kriley. “In this email campaign, DLC recognized their responsibility to our customers and utilized the Trusted Energy Partner messaging to show customers we were transparent about the changing energy rates and provide them with valuable strategies to manage their current bills and reduce their usage for future bills.”
Customers deserve to know why their bills are increasing, just as much as they deserve empathy as they work through the increased costs. As their energy provider, utilities need to bring both elements into play when communicating with customers. Doing so will lead to stronger customer-utility relationships and increased trust in the long run.