How Energy and Utility companies can better serve low-income households

In the modern utility landscape, customer demands are evolving rapidly alongside technology. If companies don’t simplify their processes and communicate clearly with customers, they may not be able to meet these evolving needs. This is particularly critical when it comes to the oftentimes underserved low-income households that make up a considerable portion of energy and utilities customer base. About 44% of U.S. households – or about 50 million – are defined as low-income, and the average national energy burden for these households can be as high as 30%.

Every customer deserves equal access to clean, reliable and affordable energy. By leveraging the right modern technologies, providers can deliver the right services and solutions at the right time and build trust with their customers. Some companies may see modernizing operations as a huge overhaul that risks interruption to critical services, but HCLSoftware’s new UCX platform makes the process seamless.

Prioritize customer needs
Energy and utility-specific digital solutions allow you to meet the evolving needs of your customers in real time. Energy and Utility companies need to provide personalized support for every customer, including self-service features and assistance programs that build trust and ensure customers feel their specific needs are being addressed.

Customer Service: Allow customers to get information about their accounts and services quickly via custom chatbots and self-service portals, whenever they need it.

Bill Payment Assistance: Offer a variety of payment options, like installment plans and discounts, to customers who may be struggling to keep up with their bills.

Energy Assistance Programs: Provide customers with information about available energy assistance programs and guide them through the application process.

Keep customers in the know
It’s time for Energy and Utility companies to build custom solutions that prioritize each customer’s needs and provide them with personalized recommendations. That way, low-income households can understand what options are available to them before making difficult financial tradeoffs to pay their energy bill.

Personalized Messaging: Send personalized information about payment assistance programs, energy-saving tips, or special offers on energy-efficient appliances.

Education and Outreach: Provide customers with relevant information about energy conservation, energy assistance programs, and more.

Community Outreach: Allow customers to connect via online forums or social media groups where they can share energy-saving tips and ask questions about their services. Companies can also use these platforms to promote events, workshops, and other initiatives aimed at helping low-income customers save energy and money.

Make your services more accessible
Energy and Utility companies need to provide customers with a direct line to their services. As part of your digital transformation, giving customers easier access to their account and services through mobile apps makes it quicker to resolve issues and provide critical information, while reducing the need for in-person interactions and time-consuming support processes.

Self-Service Portals: Provide easy-to-use online tools customers can use to pay their bills, manage their accounts, and report outages from home.

Mobile Apps: Allow customers to manage their accounts, pay bills, and get outage alerts and energy-saving tips on the go via user-friendly mobile apps.

Energy Usage Management: Let customers know how to reduce their energy consumption and suggest the best energy-efficient appliances and practices.

Choose UCX
The UCX platform is a powerful tool for energy and utility companies that want to better serve their low-income households by providing custom digital solutions that meet every customer’s specific needs. By modernizing operations through digital transformation, companies can provide personalized, user-friendly experiences that make it easier for customers to manage their accounts and save money on energy bills.