Is Pre-Pay the Way in Uncertain Times?

Utilities are facing a new kind of pressure, and it's not just about the grid. Rising infrastructure costs, extreme weather, and a growing shift toward digital payments are all converging at once, forcing utility leaders to take a hard look at how payment costs are managed and who absorbs them. In this episode of Experience Better: The CX Podcast by KUBRA, we're diving into one of the most timely conversations happening across the utility sector right now: evolving payment fee models. We'll walk through what's driving this shift, what options utilities actually have today, how changes to card networks are creating new possibilities, and what it takes to navigate all of this while keeping the customer experience front and center. Whether you are just starting to ask the right questions or actively evaluating a transition, this episode is designed to help you think through the landscape with clarity and confidence.

In this episode of Experience Better, guest host Erind Shkurti is joined by KUBRA experts Sara Small and Matt DeLaRosa to explore findings from the new 2026 Bill Redesign Insights and Preferences Report. Together, they unpack how today’s consumers interact with their utility bills, what information they value most, and why utilities are increasingly rethinking the customer experience behind both print and digital billing. From surprising insights about how little time customers actually spend reviewing their bills to the growing demand for clearer usage information and simpler layouts, the conversation reveals what utilities need to prioritize to keep customers informed and engaged.

What does it actually take to move customers from paper to paperless? In this episode of Experience Better: The CX Podcast by KUBRA, we're sharing highlights from our recent webinar, Navigating the E-Bill Currents, featuring Lindsey Parham from City of Charlotte and KUBRA's own Candice Merrifield. Hear how one of the fastest-growing cities in the country grew e-bill adoption, what barriers are standing between utilities and higher digital enrollment, and five proven strategies to overcome them. Whether you're just getting started or looking to accelerate your existing efforts, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you drive paperless adoption while keeping the customer experience front and center. Tune in and find out what's really working.

Digital wallets are everywhere, from everyday purchases to peer-to-peer payments. But are they truly ready to take over bill pay? In this episode of Experience Better: The CX Podcast by KUBRA, guest host Cali Johnston, Senior Product Marketing Manager at KUBRA, brings you key insights from KUBRA’s latest digital wallets research, featuring expert perspectives from Yara Alatshan, Market Intelligence Lead, and Ashley Czajkowski, Enterprise Payments Strategy Manager at KUBRA, who explores what these trends mean for customer awareness, trust, and adoption. Through curated clips from our recent webinar, we explore how consumer expectations are evolving, why digital wallets are becoming a must-have in bill payments, and what’s still standing in the way of widespread adoption. If you’re responsible for customer experience, this conversation will help you prepare for what’s next in bill pay and how digital wallets fit into a better, more seamless customer experience.

As storm season winds down, utilities are taking stock of what they’ve learned to prepare for what comes next. In this episode of Experience Better: The CX Podcast by KUBRA, guest host Cali Johnston revisits highlights from a recent KUBRA webinar exploring how utilities can enhance their storm-season communication strategies. Featuring Todd Clement, Senior Product Manager at KUBRA, the episode explores how overlapping events, compressed timelines, and rising customer expectations are reshaping storm response. Todd shares lessons learned on boosting outage notification enrollment, running realistic drills, and preparing pre-scheduled communications that help utilities stay connected when it matters most.