The purpose of Chartwell’s Best Practices Awards is to identify and celebrate excellence in initiatives aimed at improving customer experience, communications, and awareness in the electric, gas, and water utility industry. Additionally, this awards program serves to facilitate the sharing of innovative, successful ideas with others in the industry.
EMACS Best Practices Awards
In recognition of excellence in the following categories, three utilities will be awarded during Chartwell’s EMACS Conference with gold, silver and bronze recognition. Winning utilities will be notified in late June 2024. All winners and finalists will be contacted shortly after the announcement to participate in a case study on their efforts and discuss logistics for either a presentation at the conference or a Chartwell webinar. Learn more here.
Gold winners agree to present on their award-winning projects at EMACS: The Customer Experience Conference. Silver and Bronze winners agree to present on their efforts during a Chartwell webinar.
These are the categories for 2024:
Excellence in Customer Transformational Leadership Award
Chartwell’s new Award for Excellence in Customer Transformational Leadership recognizes a North American utility that has undertaken groundbreaking efforts to lead its customers and stakeholders toward the clean energy future, as well as the individuals in executive leadership positions who are driving those initiatives.
PowerUp Outage Best Practices Awards
In recognition of excellence in outage initiatives, three utilities in these categories will be awarded during Chartwell’s PowerUp conference with gold, silver and bronze recognition. Winning utilities were notified in March 2024. All winners and finalists will be contacted shortly after the announcement to participate in a case study on their efforts and discuss logistics for either a presentation at the conference or a Chartwell webinar.
The following categories were presented at PowerUp:
This category recognizes initiatives focused on improving customer service and satisfaction related to billing and/or payment programs. Entries may include, but are not limited to, bill redesign, online bill pay, leveraging data and integration of new technologies.
Judges will evaluate the following criteria:
• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Quality of the effort
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
• Measured results in customer satisfaction
This category recognizes initiatives focused on improving customer service and satisfaction through interactions with customer service professionals via phone, social media, chat, or other channels. Entries may include, but are not limited to, efforts related to training, systems, or technologies.
Judges will evaluate the following criteria:
• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Quality of the effort
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
• Measured results in customer satisfaction
This category recognizes initiatives focused on improving customer service and satisfaction through digital self-service channels such as web, mobile, chat, or virtual assistants.
Judges will evaluate the following criteria:
• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Quality of the effort
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
• Measured results in customer satisfaction
This category recognizes initiatives designed to enhance a utility’s image or brand, educate customers on issues, increase brand awareness, promote products and services, and effectively relay corporate strategy.
Judges will evaluate the following criteria:
• Innovation and originality
• Implementation and execution
• Appeal or attractiveness of campaign or program materials
• Measured results in areas such as engagement tracking, increased brand awareness, customer education, and promotion of products and services
This category recognizes initiatives focused on serving customers experiencing vulnerability due to financial or social insecurity. Entries may include, but are not limited to, identification tools, customer/community engagement, leveraging data, and developing assistance programs.
Judges will evaluate the following criteria:
• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Quality of the effort
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
• Measured results in customer satisfaction
This category recognizes initiatives, programs or processes focused on improving the business customer experience. Entries may include, but are not limited to customer segmentation, relationship management, products and services, VOC research and strategy, internal organization and process optimization.
Judges will evaluate the following criteria:
• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Quality of the effort and/or program materials
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
• Measured results 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 2023 and May 2024.
Chartwell’s new award for Excellence in Customer Transformational Leadership recognizes a North American utility that has undertaken groundbreaking efforts to lead its customers and stakeholders toward the clean energy future, as well as the individuals in executive leadership positions who are driving those initiatives.
• As this award is the highest Chartwell honor, there will only be one award presented in this category each year.
• Since we know a transformational effort takes a village, we request that the sponsoring executive from your utility accept the award on behalf of the utility team’s effort.
• The entry window has closed. The winning utility will be notified in late June 2024.
This category recognizes innovative communication initiatives designed to improve the customer experience before, during or after an outage event, regardless of size and scope. Entries may include, but are not limited to, efforts related to strategic planning, contact centers, web and mobile services, employee training, changes in messaging and streamlining of processes.
Judges will evaluate the following criteria:
• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Innovation or originality
• Quality of the effort
• Measured results in customer satisfaction related to outage communications
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
This category recognizes initiatives demonstrating excellence or innovation in outage operations practices and procedures that prevent customer outages and/or improve restoration efficiency. Entries may include, but are not limited to, efforts related to strategic planning, employee training, dispatch and coordination, improvements in damage assessment procedures or tools, distribution automation and other improvements in systems and technologies.
Judges will evaluate the following criteria:
• Improved service through innovation or technology
• Innovation or originality
• Quality of the effort
• Measured results in customer satisfaction related to outage duration
• Operational efficiency gains or savings
This category recognizes outstanding strategies and practices in emergency management, emphasizing comprehensive approaches to handling incidents like natural disasters, cybersecurity breaches, and equipment failures. Entrants should showcase unified communication, demonstrating “one voice” coordination with stakeholders, agencies, and regulators. Submissions should highlight successful incident command, response planning, and training, illustrating an organization’s resilience during heightened challenges.
Judges will evaluate the following criteria:
• Continuous performance improvement
• Response strategy effectiveness
• Brand protection
• Impact on customer confidence
• Proven organizational agility
GOLD: | ATCO |
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GOLD: | BGE |
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SILVER: | ENMAX Energy |
BRONZE: | PG&E |
GOLD: | Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) |
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SILVER: | Duke Energy |
BRONZE: | Exelon |
GOLD: | Enbridge Gas |
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SILVER: | Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company (LG&E and KU) |
BRONZE: | BGE |
GOLD: | Orange & Rockland Utilities |
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SILVER: | Austin Energy |
BRONZE: | Ameren Missouri |
GOLD: | Evergy |
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SILVER: | Manitoba Hydro |
BRONZE: | Duquesne Light |
GOLD: | Hydro One |
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SILVER: | Con Edison |
BRONZE: | NB Power |
GOLD: | Consumers Energy |
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SILVER: | NiSource |
BRONZE: | Manitoba Hydro |
GOLD: | CPS |
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SILVER: | Con Edison |
BRONZE: | ComEd |
GOLD: | PSE&G |
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SILVER: | NB Power |
BRONZE: | BGE |
GOLD: | Duke Energy |
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SILVER: | Exelon |
BRONZE: | Tacoma Public Utilities |
GOLD: | ComEd |
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SILVER: | Southern California Edison (SCE) |
BRONZE: | Hydro One |
GOLD: | Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) |
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SILVER: | CPS Energy |
BRONZE: | BGE |
GOLD: | PSEG Long Island |
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SILVER: | Con Edison |
BRONZE: | Fortis BC |
GOLD: | Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative |
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SILVER: | National Grid |
BRONZE: | Salt River Project |
GOLD: | Hydro One |
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SILVER: | Con Edison |
BRONZE: | ComEd |
GOLD: | Con Edison |
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SILVER: | Exelon |
BRONZE: | ComEd |
GOLD: | ComEd |
---|---|
SILVER: | Enbridge |
BRONZE: | Pacific Gas & Electric |
GOLD: | PECO |
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SILVER: | PSEG Long Island |
BRONZE: | Consumers Energy |
GOLD: | PNM |
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SILVER: | Entergy |
BRONZE: | San Diego Gas & Electric |
GOLD: | Consumers Energy |
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SILVER: | TECO Energy |
BRONZE: | BGE |
GOLD: | Con Edison |
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SILVER: | NiSource |
BRONZE: | Puget Sound Energy |
GOLD: | Southern California Edison (SCE) |
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SILVER: | Pacific Gas & Electric |
BRONZE: | Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) |
GOLD: | Austin Energy |
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SILVER: | Hydro-Québec |
BRONZE: | PSE&G |
GOLD: | PSEG Long Island |
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SILVER: | PNM |
BRONZE: | Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) |
GOLD: | Duke Energy |
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SILVER: | Enbridge |
BRONZE: | Kissimmee Utility Authority |
GOLD: | Con Edison |
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GOLD: | BGE |
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SILVER: | Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) |
BRONZE: | Evergy |
GOLD: | PECO |
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SILVER: | Florida Public Utilities |
BRONZE: | Con Edison |
GOLD: | Hydro-Quebec |
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SILVER: | Chelan County PUD |
BRONZE: | Hawaiian Electric |
GOLD: | Southern California Edison |
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SILVER: | Hydro Ottawa |
BRONZE: | Con Edison |
GOLD: | Pepco and Delmarva Power |
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SILVER: | Hydro-Quebec |
BRONZE: | Florida Public Utilities |
GOLD: | ComEd |
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SILVER: | Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas |
BRONZE: | Tuscon Electric Power |
GOLD: | JEA |
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SILVER: | Xcel Energy |
BRONZE: | FortisBC |
GOLD: | Tuscon Electric Power |
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SILVER: | Hydro Ottawa |
BRONZE: | NiSource |
GOLD: | PNM |
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SILVER: | Georgia Power |
BRONZE: | Hydro One |
GOLD: | ComEd |
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SILVER: | Hydro One |
BRONZE: | LG&E and KU |
GOLD: | KCP&L |
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SILVER: | PECO |
BRONZE: | SMUD |
GOLD: | FortisBC |
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SILVER: | Southern California Edison |
BRONZE: | Dominion Energy |
GOLD: | Southern California Edison |
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SILVER: | PSEG |
BRONZE: | Hydro One |
GOLD: | ComEd |
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SILVER: | Entergy |
BRONZE: | PECO |
GOLD: | KCP&L |
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SILVER: | PG&E |
BRONZE: | Hydro-Quebec |
GOLD: | PG&E |
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SILVER: | ComEd |
BRONZE: | Ameren Illinois |
GOLD: | Westar Energy |
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SILVER: | Entergy |
BRONZE: | Southern California Edison |
GOLD: | Consumer Energy |
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SILVER: | SMUD |
BRONZE: | National Grid |
GOLD: | Southern California Edison |
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SILVER: | KCP&L |
BRONZE: | LG&E and KU |
GOLD: | Puget Sound Energy |
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SILVER: | Consumers Energy |
BRONZE: | SMUD |
GOLD: | PSE&G |
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SILVER: | KCP&L |
BRONZE: | Southern California Edison |
GOLD: | ComEd |
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SILVER: | National Grid |
BRONZE: | LG&E and KU |
GOLD: | Southern California Edison |
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SILVER: | SDG&E |
BRONZE: | National Grid |
GOLD: | Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) |
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SILVER: | Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) |
BRONZE: | ComEd |
GOLD: | Entergy |
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SILVER: | Consumers Energy |
BRONZE: | Snohomish County Public Utility District (SnoPUD) |
GOLD: | ComEd |
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SILVER: | Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) |
BRONZE: | San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) |
GOLD: | ComEd |
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SILVER: | Hydro Ottawa |
BRONZE: | Exelon |
GOLD: | Duke Energy |
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SILVER: | San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) |
BRONZE: | Avista |
GOLD: | Central Hudson Gas & Electric |
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SILVER: | Duke Energy |
BRONZE: | Hydro Ottawa |
GOLD: | Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) |
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SILVER: | Southern California Edison (SCE) |
BRONZE: | Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) |
GOLD: | Southern California Edison (SCE) |
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GOLD: | Alabama Power |
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SILVER: | AEP |
GOLD: | Entergy |
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SILVER: | Tampa Electric (TECO) |
BRONZE: | Alabama Power |
Our membership services can help your utility identify strategies to impact customer experience and operational efficiency: A research subscription to our Insight Center membership allows unlimited access to hundreds of research reports, case studies, benchmarks, webinars, and more. Our peer-to-peer Leadership Councils, focused on customer-facing areas such as billing, outage, CX, vulnerable customers, EVs, and business customers, provide a collaborative, utility-only peer network. Our post-event transactional benchmarking study called Tranzact enables utilities to compare their customers’ outage experience perception with peer utilities. Chartwell Advisory Services and Executive Services provide leadership development with industry experts.