Chartwell's EMACS Best Practices Awards

This award recognizes initiatives that have achieved transforming arrears management through enhanced credit and collection processes, reducing bad debt with the aid of technology and innovation while providing empathetic engagement with customers. Entries may include, but are not limited to, enhanced risk assessment, alternative credit scoring, proactive predictive analytics, propensity modeling, intelligent call routing, behavioral alerts, early intervention strategies, intelligent arrearage management plans, flexible billing, vulnerable customer protection, and third-party integration transitions.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Effectiveness of implementation and overall quality
• Operational efficiencies
• Customer engagement and satisfaction
• Innovative usage of technology or analytics
• Clear objectives and measurable results

This award recognizes initiatives that have demonstrated outstanding innovation, efficiency and customer satisfaction in their billing and/or payment programs or processes. Entries may include, but are not limited to, bill redesign to improve clarity and customer understanding, multi-channel payment experiences (e.g., mobile, web, automated phone systems), leveraging data analytics for more personalized billing experiences and integration of new technologies such as AI, automation, or app-related payment services.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Increased adoption and/or usage of services or technologies
• Effectiveness of implementation and overall quality
• Operational efficiencies resulting in cost savings or improved productivity
• Measurable improvements in customer satisfaction

This award recognizes initiatives that elevate the overall customer journey by delivering seamless, personalized and impactful experiences across all touchpoints. Entries may include, but are not limited to, efforts related to training programs to enhance customer service skills, implementation of new systems or technologies to enhance experiences, proactive customer engagement strategies, frameworks or models, data-driven insights to improve customer interactions, service design improvements for a frictionless experience, customer journey optimization and personalization.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Increased adoption and/or usage of services or technologies
• Effectiveness of implementation and overall quality
• Operational efficiencies resulting in cost savings or improved productivity
• Measurable improvements in customer satisfaction

This award recognizes initiatives focused that enhance the digital customer journey by delivering seamless, intuitive, and engaging online experiences demonstrated through measurable improvements in web, mobile, or other digital platforms, leading to increased accessibility, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Increased adoption and/or usage of services or technologies
• Effectiveness of implementation and overall quality
• Operational efficiencies resulting in cost savings or improved productivity
• Measurable improvements in customer satisfaction

This award recognizes initiatives designed to enhance a utility’s brand image, educate customers, increase brand awareness, promote products and services, and effectively relay communicate corporate strategy.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Innovation and originality
• Effectiveness of implementation and overall quality
• Appeal or attractiveness of campaign or program materials
• Measured results in areas such as engagement tracking, brand awareness, customer education, and promotion of products and services

This award recognizes initiatives focused on serving customers experiencing vulnerability due to financial or social insecurity. Entries may include, but are not limited to, tools for identifying and serving at-risk customers, community outreach and engagement programs, leveraging data to improve service, and developing assistance programs.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Increased adoption and/or usage of services or technologies
• Effectiveness of implementation and overall quality
• Operational efficiencies resulting in cost savings or improved productivity
• Measurable improvements in customer satisfaction

This category recognizes initiatives, programs or processes that improve the business customer experience. Entries may include, but are not limited to customer segmentation and personalized service approaches, relationship management strategies, products and services, VOC research and strategy, internal organization and process optimization.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Increased adoption and/or usage of services or technologies
• Effectiveness of implementation and overall quality
• Operational efficiencies resulting in cost savings or improved productivity
• Measurable improvements in customer satisfaction

This category recognizes initiatives that realize transportation electrification benefits for the utility, its customers, and/or served communities. Entries may include, but are not limited to EV community engagement and marketing, charging infrastructure, fleet electrification, grid integration, multifamily support and inclusion.

Judges will evaluate the following criteria:

• Promoting the utility as the EV Trusted Advisor
• Innovative approach and/or solution
• Quality of effort and strategic partnerships
• Measured impact and how it aligns with the utility’s strategic objectives

This category recognizes outstanding creative achievement in short video marketing/communications efforts, such as TV spots or digital pre-roll. Chartwell judges will select the Top 3 entries, and the recipients of the People’s Choice Award will be chosen by EMACS attendees. Winners will receive their trophies at the conference.

Submitted videos should be no more than 1 minute long. Each utility can submit up to two videos. Videos must have been released between January 2025 and March 2026.

NOW OPEN! (Submission Deadline: May 8, 2026) 

Step 1:  Choose the category to enter.

Entries are limited to two per category per utility. Some or all of the effort should have been undertaken between January 2025 and March 2026.

Step 2: Complete the award entry form and attach supporting items outlined below. 

If an entry is submitted by a vendor or consultant, it must be with the utility’s permission and list a contact at the utility.

EMACS Best Practices Award submissions require a short summary along with a detailed project description that includes the following:

• • A history of the project/program or effort.
  • Details about the effort including significant dates, major participants and target audience. (Note: Some or all of the effort should have been undertaken between January 2025 and March 2026).
  • The goals and results of the project/program or effort, including how results were measured.
  • The facts and features making the project innovative and unique.
  • How the project meets the criteria for the respective award, as outlined above.
  • The reason it should win the Best Practices Award.

You may upload supporting components along with the submission form, such as print or digital advertisements, video/audio files, social media posts and photographs.

Winning utilities will be notified in June 2026 and formally recognized at Chartwell’s EMACS Conference, taking place September 22–24 in Atlanta, Georgia.

To shine a light on their success and inspire peers, all award recipients will be invited to feature their work through a Chartwell Best Practices Case Study. Gold winners will present their award-winning initiatives during an EMACS Conference breakout session, while Silver and Bronze recipients will share their insights through a Chartwell-hosted webinar.

Award entries will become the property of Chartwell Inc. and may be displayed or distributed during EMACS or for Chartwell members on Chartwell’s websites.

Click here to submit your entry.

Questions? Contact awards@chartwellinc.com 

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People’s Choice – Video submissions require a short summary that includes the following:

• • Where the video was played (TV, utility website, Facebook, YouTube, etc.)
  • The video’s release date (videos must have been released between January 2025 and March 2026)
  • Goals of the video (brand marketing, program participation, etc.)
  • Viewing statistics

Click here to submit your video entry.