Security, Trust, and What’s Next in Utility CX

The final installment of KUBRA’s 2026 Utility Customer Experience Blog Series 

Utilities have already cultivated deep customer confidence in payment security. With that win under their belts, they now have the next opportunity to turn that security confidence into broader trust in the utility itself. As utilities introduce emerging payment technologies and increasingly personalized digital experiences, visible and understandable security can become an important driver of customer confidence and adoption. 

Utilities Are Starting From a Position of Strength

Utilities have responded to consumers’ demand for a secure way to pay their bills, and it shows. Today, payment security is a strength for utilities, with 76% of customers feeling confident that their payment information is secure.

The years of investment in encryption, PCI compliance, fraud protection, and secure digital payments have paid off, resulting in a strong foundation of trust. Now it’s time to build on that foundation. Instead of framing security as a problem to solve, position it as a strength that already exists.

Turn Security Confidence Into Institutional Trust

KUBRA’s recent research found a distinction between trusting the transaction and trusting the organization behind it. While a strong majority of consumers feel confident that their payment information is secure, that confidence drops when it comes to personal data; just 63% trust their utility to protect it.

The 13-point difference shouldn’t discourage utilities. Rather, they should see it as an opportunity to extend transactional confidence into broader institutional trust. Utilities now need to position it not just as a technical capability, but as something that can strengthen the overall customer relationship.

Make Invisible Security Visible

Utilities have made the investment; now they have to ensure their customers know about the measures in place to protect sensitive account information. And many don’t. Only 64% of customers say existing security measures actively instill confidence, and another 27% are neutral. This exposes a great opportunity for utilities to provide their customers with greater reassurance.

They can do so by:

• Making existing security investments more visible and easier for customers to understand.
• Communicating how customer information is protected using clear, accessible language.
• Reinforcing security during important moments such as login, payment, and confirmation.

This shifts feelings about security from assuming it's there to being assured it is.

Use Security and Trust to Unlock Technology Adoption

Trust in security is key to payment adoption. Without it, 63% of customers are less willing to adopt new payment technologies and features. Yet this doesn't mean customers are resistant to innovation. 49% are already likely to adopt emerging payment technologies, and another 25% are neutral rather than opposed. That neutral segment is the real opportunity because they aren't rejecting new technology; they may simply need more reassurance, education, and demonstrated value before they commit. 

Viewing security not just as a compliance or risk issue but as an adoption enabler helps utilities build a single narrative that connects their security strength to emerging experiences, digital wallets, AutoPay, AI-assisted payments, and more personalized, predictive digital experiences. When utilities help customers understand not just what a new technology does, but why it's valuable and why they can trust it, adoption follows. Trust becomes part of the innovation strategy, not an afterthought. 

Make Security Part of the Innovation Experience

The pathway to making security and trust a visible part of the overall customer experience requires several actions by utilities:

• Plain language explanations of how customer information is protected.
• Reinforce security at critical points throughout the customer journey.
• Provide clear reassurance when customers share personal or payment information.
• Ensure security measures feel intuitive rather than adding unnecessary friction.
• Balance strong security with simplicity and ease of use.
• Use consistent security messaging across channels and touchpoints.

Trust as the Foundation for What's Next

Security is more than protection; it's the foundation utilities can build on.

Utilities have already earned strong confidence in payment security. The next step is to close the gap between that confidence and institutional trust by making security visible, explaining it in plain language, and reinforcing it at the moments that matter most to customers.

Do that well, and security stops being a defensive measure and becomes a growth lever. One that gives customers the confidence to adopt digital wallets, AutoPay, AI-assisted payments, and the more personalized experiences still to come.

The utilities that treat trust as core to their innovation strategy, not an afterthought, will be best positioned for what's next in utility CX.

This is the seventh and final post in KUBRA’s 2026 Utility Customer Experience Blog Series, based on original research from our white paper, From Transactions to Trust: The Future of Utility Billing & Payments.