Vulnerable Customer Leadership Council

Customer Vulnerability Is on the Rise

Based on Chartwell’s consumer research, the need for utilities to have a greater focus on their vulnerable or at-risk customers has intensified.

The Chartwell Vulnerable Customer Leadership Council provides a forum for utility representatives to build a network of peers they can consult with for timely solutions, confidential discussions, lessons learned, and tactics, strategies, and best practices from experienced utility leaders. It is entirely focused on vulnerable or at-risk customers and employs a working group format focused on identifying and solving common challenges from idea to implementation.

Issues facing vulnerable customers today are complex and ever-changing, and utilities need to find new and innovative ways to help. Some of the most challenging problems include:

  • A difficult and challenging environment for utilities and vulnerable customers has been exacerbated to near crisis levels by the pandemic, followed by inflation leading to unprecedented customer debt.
  • A much larger population of customers is struggling to pay, which is driving higher debt.
  • Technology and outreach challenges limit the ability of utilities to identify and connect vulnerable customers to assistance and resources.

Members of the Vulnerable Customer Leadership Council benefit from:

  • Peer-to-Peer Collaboration: Join roundtable discussions with industry leaders on the latest issues impacting the industry.
  • Member-Driven Topics: Chartwell tailors content based on Council members’ priorities and members exchange exclusive information on monthly calls and bi-annual meetings. 
  • Connect & Collaborate: Network with a rich network of industry leaders who meet monthly to ensure they are finding the most effective and efficient solutions to their problems.

Our shared cost model means you gain access to best practice strategies, tactics and thinking you would expect to find at a top consulting firm at a fraction of the investment. Council membership means your utility will never have to make decisions in a vacuum again.

What are utilities' biggest concerns about serving vulnerable customers, and what are the most common barriers to customers getting assistance? Learn more with this downloadable thought piece.
The State of the Industry
Areas of Focus Include:
  • Vulnerable Customers
  • Low-Income Customers
  • At-Risk Customers
Inquire about the Vulnerable Customer Leadership Council

Chartwell Services

Chartwell has a wide array of membership and subscription service solutions that can help your utility identify strategies to impact customer experience and operational efficiency.

Chartwell’s Insight Center Membership provides timely and actionable benchmarks and insights, proven go-to-market strategies from leading utilities, and the support of our team of analysts. Our Leadership Councils provide a deep network of industry leaders who collaborate regularly on critical issues, sharing perspectives, advice, and solutions.

Tranzact is a utility-led benchmarking study that combines the results of post-outage transactional surveys from multiple utilities enabling them to compare their customers’ outage experience with peer utilities. Chartwell Advisory Services and Executive Services provide one-on-one coaching and leadership development with industry experts.

Learn more about our services