How utilities can strengthen customer trust through energy wellbeing

Reliability, security and affordability are foundational to that experience, as they enable participation in everyday life. 

The energy experience extends beyond that foundation. Elements like convenience, consistency and meaningful choice determine whether consumers feel they can stay on top of their usage or are constantly reacting to it.

Many customers are reaching the limits of what they can manage on their own. EY Global Energy Consumer Research found that 77% of US respondents say they are already doing as much as they can to reduce energy costs. As a result, energy wellbeing depends increasingly on how clearly customers are supported beyond individual effort, with more of that effort needing to reduce complexity and the burden placed on the customer. 

Customer priorities continue to evolve. Customers want greater control, stronger trust, more personalization and the ability to align energy use with their priorities. Together, these expectations signal a more active form of engagement where customers want visibility into their energy usage and clear direction on what actions to take.

Barriers also shape how easily customers can act. While 85% say they would sign up for at least one energy management program, cost, knowledge, effort and trust still limit action, even when options are available.

Taken together, these dynamics expand how customers evaluate energy. Price remains important, alongside how predictable, manageable and responsive the overall experience feels.

For utilities, this is a meaningful reframing. Responding to rising costs remains essential, but by itself, it does not address the full set of pressures consumers are experiencing. The challenge is understanding how these elements interact, and where current approaches fall short of what customers actually need.

The experience often starts with uncertainty. Usage trends upward, but customers have little sense of whether the change is temporary, preventable or already locked into the next bill.

Managing energy has become a reactive exercise. Bills arrive after the fact, signals come too late and customers are left to interpret what happened rather than shape the outcome. The burden of action sits with the customer, often without clear guidance on what will make a meaningful difference.

Access to data continues to expand. Detailed billing breakdowns, usage dashboards and program notifications are increasingly available. Yet greater visibility has not translated into clearer decision-making, and 80% of US customers report issues or errors in their interactions, reinforcing the effort required to piece together information across channels and act with confidence. 

Customers show strong interest in energy management programs, particularly those that offer greater visibility and control over usage. Participation remains uneven as customers weigh uncertainty about savings, the effort required to get started and concerns about losing control over devices.

These dynamics make it difficult to move from interest to action. Customers are often unsure which programs are right for them, how much value they provide or whether the time involved will deliver meaningful benefits.

The result is a fragmented experience. Consumers are asked to navigate a growing set of tools, programs and messages without a cohesive view of how they fit together. Instead of simplifying decisions, interpreting information and taking action becomes increasingly difficult.

This is where the current model breaks down. It assumes that access to information and options will lead to better outcomes. In practice, customers need more direct guidance, coordinated experiences and a direct path from insight to action.

That confidence is built on three core elements:

Customers are not asking to manage more. They are looking to manage less, with greater confidence that the system is working on their behalf.

This is where the gap between the current model and customer expectations becomes most visible. Utilities have expanded access to data and programs, but the experience still relies on customers to connect the pieces. What customers want is a more coordinated approach that anticipates issues, translates information into action and reduces the effort required to stay in control.

As the experience described earlier illustrates, access alone does not drive better outcomes. The shift is moving from informing customers to helping them act clearly, quickly and with confidence.

This is where digital and AI capabilities become central to the customer experience. More than 60% of customers already use AI for energy-related tasks, and 33% expect to increase that use going forward, highlighting the growing role these tools play in how customers manage energy.

In practice, this means identifying patterns earlier and alerting customers before costs escalate. Sixty-three percent of customers are willing to use AI to monitor usage and provide advice. It means recommending specific actions based on a customer’s situation, with a clear indication of potential impact. It also includes more automated approaches that reduce the need for customers to continuously monitor and adjust their energy use.

The goal is to make energy easier to manage by reducing uncertainty, simplifying decisions and supporting more consistent outcomes. In this way, digital and AI capabilities can enable a more coordinated experience built around predictability, control and confidence.

This shift begins to redefine the role utilities play, moving from providers of information to active partners in how customers manage energy day to day.