The Utility Billing and Payment Journey: Identifying Where Customer Friction Still Exists

Paying a utility bill used to be a forgettable task. Today, it's one of the most emotionally loaded moments in the customer relationship, where trust is either reinforced or lost in a single interaction. Customers now measure every experience against the best one they've had anywhere: a seamless checkout, a same-day delivery, a support chat that just works. Utility billing is one of the few remaining touchpoints where that expectation collides with reality, making it a disproportionate driver of trust and satisfaction. 

In KUBRA's 2026 Utility Customer Experience Research Series, Part 1, KUBRA surveyed 1,023 U.S. adults responsible for paying their household bills to identify where the billing and payment journey still breaks down, even as digital adoption climbs. The result: an industry that isn't broken but no longer meets the standards customers now expect.

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Key Findings

• Only 25% of utility customers rate their billing and payment experience as "Excellent"
• 60% of utility customers now pay primarily through their utility's own digital channel (logged into their account)
• 36% of utility customers report some level of confusion or dissatisfaction with bill clarity and transparency
• 30% of utility customers encounter issues when making a payment, and 62% of those delay or abandon the transaction as a result
• Only 27% of utility customers strongly trust their utility to protect their personal data

What's the biggest source of friction in the utility billing experience?

According to KUBRA's 2026 Utility Customer Experience Research, the clearest breakdown in the utility billing journey isn't at checkout. It's bill clarity. Only 33% of utility customers report being very satisfied with the clarity and transparency of their charges, compared to 52% satisfaction with payment speed, ease, and reliability. Customers can complete a transaction quickly and still walk away confused about what they paid for, which drives avoidable support calls, payment delays, and disputes.

FAQs

All data below is from KUBRA's 2026 Utility Customer Experience Research. 

What percentage of utility customers pay their bill digitally? 60% of utility customers primarily pay by logging into their utility's website or mobile app, making owned digital channels the core of the payment experience. Bank bill pay (21%), guest payment (7%), and traditional channels like mail, phone, and in-person (combined 9%) make up the rest.

Why do customers abandon utility bill payments? 30% of utility customers experience payment issues at least sometimes, and 62% of those customers delay or abandon payments as a result. The research points to system errors, confusing navigation, and failed transactions, not customer unwillingness to pay, as the primary drivers of abandonment.

Do customers understand their utility bills? Most don't fully. Only 36% reported no confusion with their bill. The two biggest sources of confusion were charges and fees (43%) and usage details (41%), with billing adjustments, past balances, and due dates also creating friction for a meaningful share of customers.

Are customers aware of utility assistance and financial relief programs? No. This is one of the widest gaps identified by the research. 58% of utility customers who may need assistance programs are either unaware of them or unable to access them, and communication about available assistance scored lower than any other communication category measured.

Are utility customers open to new payment technology, like digital wallets or AI-assisted payments? Yes, 49% of utility customers are already open to adopting new payment technologies, and another 25% are neutral, which is a large, persuadable segment for utilities ready to introduce new digital payment tools.