As 2025 approaches, the utility industry is navigating many changes driven by evolving customer expectations, growing concern about energy affordability and technological advancements like Artificial Intelligence (AI). Utility marketers face the challenge of balancing these factors while delivering value, equity and convenience to all customers.  

We spoke to utility marketers nationwide to see what they foresee as top trends shaping communications in 2025 and beyond.  

A Powerful Tool for Utility Marketers  

Enhancing the customer experience is a constant priority for utilities, but the methods for doing so will become more sophisticated in 2025. Artificial Intelligence, including machine learning and generative AI, will be at the forefront of customer engagement strategies going forward.

“When I think of using AI in 2025, it’s about the three Ps: Being proactive, personalized and productive,” says Nicole Carter, Brand Strategy Manager at Georgia Power. “AI will help utility marketers with proactive and personalized communications as well as the productivity of our people.”

According to Carter, Georgia Power’s Marketing and Communications team can use machine learning to identify customers who have higher bills in the summertime. From this data, utility marketers can create proactive communications, reducing call center inquiries and providing a better customer experience. If a customer falls within a certain income, for example, marketing campaigns can direct them to the utility’s energy assistance programs.

“That’s an example of where we can use AI to meet our customers even before they come to us,” Carter says. “There are multiple levels to the process, including identifying customers and sending them proactive energy savings information. We want to be able to identify a customer’s particular need and give them personalized tips, tools or actions they can take.”

To better engage with customers in 2025, the Communications team at Colorado Springs Utilities will continue to utilize generative AI throughout the creative process, including brainstorming, copywriting and image generation. In fact, AI helped the utility to create significant engagement on social media with an April Fools’ Day post. 

Alex Trefry, Public Relations Specialist at Colorado Springs Utilities, utilized AI image generation to create a “wet wipe monster” in front of the backdrop of one of the utility’s water resource recovery facilities. The April Fools’ joke about a monster called Weti was an entertaining way to remind customers to not flush so-called “flushable” wipes. The Facebook post received more than 15,594 impressions, 3,328 engagements, 934 reactions and 131 shares.  

“It was fun, it was engaging, and our followers loved it,” says Trefry. “But the AI-generated image also got across the important message that you shouldn’t be flushing wet wipes since they don’t disintegrate in wastewater systems. It was a great way to educate the public, and AI played a big role in turning it around so quickly.”

In the upcoming year, generative AI will also be useful for making utility communications more digestible and readable to the average consumer. For example, Trefry takes advantage of generative AI to change the reading level of consumer-facing communications and tailor messages to specific audiences.

“This is particularly helpful for utility marketers who communicate about complex topics on a daily basis,” Trefry says. “The utility industry is a very technical industry, so using AI to make it more understandable is imperative. A customer won’t sign up for a program or take a particular action if they don’t understand the message – it’s that simple.”

Carter and Trefry both emphasize the importance of responsible AI use, requiring education and advocacy across the organization. Both utilities have created employee ambassadors to educate others, conduct research, ask questions and have open dialogue about this rapidly growing technology.   

“We need to have policies in place for using AI in communications,” Trefry says. “We’re in the early stages of AI, and this is a great time for leaders in utility communications to focus on the ethics of using AI and set up policies and procedures as it continues to improve and new tools become available.” 

Additionally, Carter notes that utility marketers need to be aware of the potential for perpetuating biases when using AI. Since AI looks for patterns in the data, it could replicate biases at scale and exclude certain customers.

“We need to be mindful that we’re not just replicating and perpetuating potential biases in the data,” Carter says. “As a utility, we must make it a priority to be aware of that. We are an essential service and an important part of our customers’ budgets and monthly spend. We want to ensure that any AI we roll out, it is unbiased, it is fair, and it is responsible.”

The Rise of Hyper-Convenience

In today's fast-paced, on-demand world, customers are seeking instant access, seamless interactions and personalized services in nearly every aspect of their lives. For utilities, this means adjusting to a new reality: the era of hyper-convenience.

According to McKinsey & Company, businesses aiming for transformational change should prioritize hyper-personalization in 2025. Hyper-convenience is the concept of delivering services and products with an extraordinary level of ease, speed and accessibility to meet customer demands. It goes beyond traditional convenience by anticipating customer needs and preferences, often using technology to streamline processes and personalize experiences. Delivering hyper-convenience will be essential for enhancing the customer experience and building long-term loyalty now and in the future.

“Hyper-convenience doesn’t just span the utility industry, but virtually every industry as well,” says Matt Buecker, Senior Manager, Marketing and Customer Education at Baltimore Gas and Electric. “Today’s customers expect a seamless and easy process in everything they do, whether paying their bill or signing up for a program. Every single interaction must be convenient.”

Hyper-convenience requires a deep understanding of customers – including leveraging past behaviors, preferences and unique account information – to engage more effectively. Recognizing this growing trend, Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) created a team within its Marketing Department called Customer Insights, which incorporates customer perspectives, analytics and personalization. This team helps BGE marketers identify customers they need to target and precisely how to reach them based on data and behaviors. 

“Everything we do starts with Customer Insights,” Buecker says. “Every time we’re about to build a campaign, they have a seat at the table. Because we need to know who we’re targeting before we can make any decisions about a campaign or media outreach.”

To make hyper-convenience a priority, BGE has transformed the experience for moving customers. The Customer Operations team created a seamless process for customers to easily move services to a new address online. Utility marketers then target customers who are frequent movers or renters with promotions. For example, renters typically sign one-year leases and could be interested in receiving promotions around the time their lease is up.

“We can predict when they might move again and send them information prior to that time,” Buecker says. “Not only because it reduces calls for us, but it’s a much simpler process for them. They go online and quickly fill out a form – it’s a quick digital experience.” 

According to Carter, AI will provide many opportunities for a more convenient customer experience through self-service options. For example, an AI chatbot could provide a more customized experience for customers, asking them questions based on specific data and patterns. Perhaps a customer’s energy usage increased over the past year, or they recently moved into a new home. Depending on the data, the AI chatbot could suggest useful recommendations, such as alternative rate plans or energy efficiency programs.  

“I believe there is an opportunity for AI, as it gets more sophisticated and more powerful, to up our game in terms of virtual assistance,” Carter says. “Customers could interact with a virtual chatbot that is going to know about them on a very detailed level. When paired with conventional resources, this could be a great benefit to our customers and improve the customer experience.”

Energy Equity for Every Customer

As energy prices fluctuate and environmental concerns grow, ensuring energy equity will continue to be a top priority in 2025. Utilities need to ensure all customers, regardless of income or geographic location, have access to affordable and reliable energy.

At its core, energy equity is about creating a more balanced and inclusive energy system. Utilities should address disparities in energy access by making sure that customers in low-income or underserved areas aren’t left behind. This means removing financial, geographical and informational barriers to make energy more accessible for everyone.

BGE’s “Here to Help” campaign is designed to target customers who need assistance understanding or paying their bill. The campaign promotes the utility’s online assistance finder, a tool that provides personalized recommendations for payment assistance and energy efficiency programs. The recommendations are based on the customer’s unique data.

Another focus area for BGE is creating a seamless experience and ensuring inclusivity for customers throughout the customer journey. For example, Buecker notes, if a Hispanic customer who primarily speaks Spanish receives a Facebook advertisement about an energy efficiency program, their entire journey should be in Spanish. This includes the landing page, enrollment form and phone call to set up the energy audit.

“From an equity standpoint, we’re thinking holistically about our marketing approach and being proactive about how we reach out to our customers,” Buecker says. “We’re ‘transcreating’ versus translating and building campaigns around diverse groups of customers.” 

Embracing New Trends in 2025

The utility industry is undergoing a significant transformation, and marketers are at the forefront of driving change. In 2025, AI, hyper-convenience and energy equity will dominate marketing strategies.

As the industry evolves, one thing is clear: customer expectations will continue to rise, and utility marketers must stay agile and innovative to keep pace. By embracing these trends, utilities can position themselves as forward-thinking, customer-centric organizations prepared for the future.