On-demand roundtable
A Utility Playbook for Vulnerable Customers
Welcome
Chapter 1 of 10
Chris Medina Host
Go-To-Market Engineer
Tim Lytle
Director of Business Development
Hillary Winchester
Customer Experience Manager
Scene 01
Chris Medina, BlastPoint
“There were 95 million moments to step in before a shutoff.”
In 2024, U.S. utilities sent 95 million final notices for electric service, and 13.4 million households were disconnected. Once a past-due balance passes about $1,000, it becomes nearly impossible to pay down.
Source: U.S. DOE data, as cited in the session
Scene 02
Chris Medina, BlastPoint
“What did you do before a customer fell behind?”
New York is targeting energy bills below 6% of income. California requires utilities to show their math on affordability.
Source: New York PSC and California CPUC requirements, as described in the session
Scene 03
Tim Lytle, Single Stop
“The next bill they pay is their utility bill.”
One study found a 115% increase in utility spending after households got access to SNAP. Single Stop screens customers for 20 to 27 state and federal benefits at once.
Source: USDA-supported study, as cited by Single Stop
Scene 04
Tim Lytle, Single Stop
“Most of them had just dropped off.”
Long applications, extra logins, and confusing forms lose people before they finish. A simple first step keeps them moving.
Scene 05
Hillary Winchester, Seattle City Light
“They don't necessarily trust a government entity.”
Seattle pays community liaisons who speak residents' languages, trains them on the programs, and sends them with translated materials to churches, corner stores, and libraries.
Scene 06
Hillary Winchester, Seattle City Light
“They don't even pay the first bill.”
About two-thirds of Seattle City Light's new customers didn't pay their first bill. 39,000 customers received about $25 million in assistance last year. 10% got a final notice, and 4% of those were disconnected.
Source: Seattle City Light, 2025, shared in the session
Scene 07
Hillary Winchester, Seattle City Light
“I'm not qualified enough.”
Two groups surprised them: high earners hit by tech layoffs, and eligible customers who opt out because they think others need the help more. Seattle changed its messaging and added an eligibility calculator.
Scene 08
Hillary Winchester, Seattle City Light
“It blew everything else out of the water.”
A welcome email for new customers, built because so many missed their first bill, got open rates above 61%.
Source: Seattle City Light, 2025, shared in the session
Scene 09
Hillary Winchester, Seattle City Light
“Are we actually going to be able to get customers to use those dollars?”
When Seattle asks for rate increases, council wants proof that assistance dollars reach customers. That proof is the record you build before you file.
Scene 10
Hillary Winchester, Seattle City Light
“We had a customer call 16 times to get assistance.”
Every call, hold, email, and processing step is staff time. Faster, simpler applications help customers and cut operating costs.
Source: Seattle City Light, 2025, shared in the session
Rate Case Gap Check
Answer a few quick questions and get a one-page gap map across the four things a commission asks about:
About 3 minutes. A free tool from BlastPoint and Single Stop.
Take the Gap Check (opens in a new tab)Action items
Step 1: Pull your last 12 months of disconnections and look backward. What did those accounts look like before they were shut off?
Step 2: Compare your 20 highest-usage census tracts with median household income (free at data.census.gov (opens in a new tab)).
Step 3: Find out how many eligible customers are actually enrolled in your low-income programs.
Step 4: Find your next rate filing date and work backward to what you'd need to show.
The framework
Build one view per customer from data you already have: payment history, usage, income, energy burden, and program enrollment.
Send a personal message through the channel each customer actually uses, including mail, phone, community partners, and translated materials for customers without digital access.
Offer one simple screening for state, federal, and utility programs. About 38 million households qualify for LIHEAP, and about 5.7 million were served.
Track who was eligible, who engaged, who got assistance, and what happened to their bill.
Find where people drop off, like a screener started and never finished, and fix that step.
Welcome
Chapter 1 of 10
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