A North American Utility Email Billing Case Study

NSTAR, a large electric utility in MA, recently undertook a pilot initiative using Striata to deliver its electric bills to residential customers via secure email, and to introduce a revolutionary new ability to take check payments directly from within the email bill.

Please find following the initial feedback of a survey responded to by over 25% of the pilot group of customers. These customers were surveyed in the third month of the project.

“NSTAR Email Billing Pilot Case Study”

Pilot objectives:

• To truncate all paper for pilot group
• To test and prove that required formats can be delivered
• To measure speed & deliverability
• To test selected pilot participant responses
• To refine the data delivery process
• To refine the unsubscribe process
• To gain internal business approval
• To fully close the in-email payment process and test customer acceptance and usage of this payment option

The Payment Solution: (In conjunction with our payment partner, Transactis)

• ACH Check payment directly from within the eMail Bill
• No pre-registration
• One click payment
• Confirmation screen
• 2 confirmation emails

General results:

• Over 91% paper truncation, less than a 9% unsubscribe rate
• 98% email deliverability (paper bills were automatically generated for email failures.)

Herewith the results of the customer survey conducted in March:

• 22% of customers responded to email survey in the first 4 days (Over 27% after 14 days)
• “How would you rate you NSTAR Email Bill”- 77% responded EXCELLENT or GOOD
• “Was the Email Bill easy to pay”- 78% said YES
• “Would you like NSTAR to offer Email Billing on a permanent basis”- 92% responded YES

Payment results:

• 19% of recipients paid their bill on the SAME DAY they received it
• 68% paid in less than 10 days from receipt of the Email Bill

With almost 70% paying in less than 10 days and an unbelievable 19% paying on the same day of receipt, this has an incredible impact on cash flow, in particular Day’s Receivables. The vast majority (over 50%) paid this bill before the paper would have reached their mail box.

Some actual sample customer feedback:

• “Excellent idea – I wish you offered permanently! Bring it back!”
• “Not receiving a paper statement is the best way to do things. People do not want to have a paper statement.”
• “It is more convenient and I am less likely to lose the bill and not pay on time”
• “I don’t want to go back to paper. Please continue.”
• “Your pay service was excellent. Very convenient and easy to navigate! I hope you continue with this service”
• “I hate all the paper bills I get. I would much rather get the email bill.”
• “This program is a great way to save time and paper. Hope you bring it back.”
• “Please keep this active!!!”
• “Loved Email Bill. It was quick and easy. I’m disappointed to see it end.”
• “Very practical, user friendly, good idea. Being in Massachusetts or in Florida, don’t matter anymore. My electric bill is always at my finger tips.”
• “Email Bill worked fine for me. I work nights and paying by email bill was great. Instead of taking my lunch hour to run to the post office I can just send my payment through email bill paying system.”

Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information in this regard.