Powering Up Performance: Utility Industry Best Practices You Can Use Today

Effective operations in the utility sector hinge on many things, including clear communication, seamless billing and payment processes, and a strong digital presence. Let’s explore a few best practices across these three critical areas that can help your gas or electric utility build trust, improve customer satisfaction, and stay competitive in a rapidly changing landscape.  

Proactive Customer Communication is Key 

The data repeatedly reinforces that utilities should communicate with customers early and often. Customers who recall utility communication(s) have higher overall satisfaction scores.  

According to 2025 year-to-date data, 84% of electric customers receive alerts about peak/high usage, emergency/severe weather, and/or outages. On average, these customers are +72 points more satisfied.  

There is an +89 point difference in overall satisfaction between electric customers who recall proactive communications versus those who do not recall proactive communications.  

“Customers feel more confident and satisfied when their utility keeps them informed,” said Mark Spalinger, director of utilities intelligence at J.D. Power. “In fact, overall satisfaction is 548 when customers can recall a communication from their utility versus 477 when customers do not recall a communication. Whether it’s a quick text about a rate change or a social post about infrastructure upgrades, proactive communication builds trust and improves the overall customer experience.” 

Simplifying Billing and Payments: Making Every Step Easy for Customers 

When it comes to billing and payments for gas and electric utilities, a few key best practices are clear: 

• Make it easy: It should be easy to pay a bill, with a variety of methods to pay and easy to enroll in alternative options. 

• Make it clear: Statement formats should be clear and simple to understand.

• Be proactive: Communicate billing and payment options, especially targeting high-potential customer segments. 

• Be informative: Use the billing cycle to promote energy savings, payment, and assistance programs. 

"The billing cycle presents the greatest opportunity for utilities to prove the quality of their service and their dedication to the customer, with transactions that offer desirable options, are clear to understand and easy to enroll in and use,” said Chris Oberle, managing director of utilities intelligence at J.D. Power. “There is no customer interaction that touches more customers and can showcase the utility in a more positive light.” 

Your Online Presence Matters 

The utility digital experience lags every service based digital experience J.D. Power measures, with prominent usability tenets like visual appeal, navigation and speed greatly contributing to this underperformance.

Overall satisfaction is substantially higher for mobile app users…yet nearly 1/3 of the largest utilities do not offer an app. App development continues to be slow despite the large lifts on customer satisfaction they bring. 

A strong digital experience begins with an established foundation of modern elements and a reliable log in. Utility digital properties should build upon a strong foundation to enrich experiences.  

Building a Stronger Utility Through Best Practices 

Proactive communication, simplified billing and payment processes, and a strong digital presence aren’t just operational goals, they’re essential pillars of a successful utility. By implementing best practices in these areas, gas and electric providers can foster stronger customer relationships, reduce friction, and position themselves for long-term success. As the industry continues to evolve, focusing on these fundamentals will help utilities not only meet expectations but exceed them.  

This blog is based on data and insights drawn from the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Utility Digital Experience Study, J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, and the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study.