The vast majority of utility providers across North America have little-to-no competition. Traditionally this has stopped utilities from spending on technological innovations and other developments that improvethe customer experience (CX).

Based on a mix of regulations and demand from consumers there’s a new type of utility billing that’s beginning to change the face of energy markets around the world - and particularly across North America. It’s called supplier consolidated billing (SCB).

In Ontario, Canada, the province’s five largest electricity providers have come together to warn the public about ongoing utility scams concerning fake phone calls, texts and bills connected to their utility accounts. 

Hydro One, Alectra Utilities, Lexicon Energy, Hydro Ottawa and Toronto Hydro all joined together to get the message out that scammers are targeting customers and threatening to turn off their power, says CTV News. 

The customer experience (CX) and improving customer engagement is  a primary focus for utilities in 2021, and will be for many years to come. Did you know, however, that one of the best ways to improve utility CX is by offering eBilling solutions to your customer? 

Today’s consumers are spending an increasing amount of time on their cellphones and other mobile devices. It’s for this reason that an increasing number of utility providers are now investing in eBilling to improve customer satisfaction. 

In fact, the new Billing Industry Benchmarks report from Chartwell found that utilities can save an average of 54 cents per customer each month by distributing online bills rather than paper bills. 

The way customers interact with their utility provider is changing, and your utility billing software has to be able to meet the demands of those changes. 

The easiest, most efficient and most cost-effective way to do this is by choosing utility billing software that is not only equipped to thrive today, but also designed with tomorrow in mind. By understanding the unique expectations of today's utility customer, you can ensure your eBilling and payment solution is providing a world-class customer experience (CX) to your customers.

This is an important step towards ensuring the needs of your customer is a top priority. 

Paperless billing allows utilities to offer a convenient way for customers to receive their bills and make payments on time.

For providers, choosing to embrace paperless billing through a self-service web portal, such as the innovative SilverBlaze Customer Portal for Utilities, is an excellent opportunity to save money, increase profit margins and invest back into your employees and equipment. This will increase customer engagement and satisfaction across the board.

As a utility provider - whether in the water, sewerage, electricity, gas or telecom industry - reducing costs, finding ways to become more efficient and embracing technology is key to improving the customer experience (CX) and meeting the demands of the 21st century customer.

Did you know, that embracing a customer portal that allows your company to integrate eBilling can help you do just that? 

Technological advances have changed the way we approach business and, most importantly, the customer experience. This includes everything from how utility providers monitor a customers’ meter to how they manage their finances. Some companies, however, still rely on billing methods that are outdated.

Utility providers that want to stand out in the digitally-driven world, and provide their customers with the best possible experience, must implement paperless billing.

Ebilling has been growing every year since it was first implemented, and with a wealth of benefits to both the consumer and the company, why wouldn’t it?

With benefits ranging from lower customer service costs, increased customer engagement and satisfaction, and even environmental impact, it’s clear why companies are making this shift a priority.