Question 1

Why would a utility offer Single Stop to its customers?

Accepted Answer

Many customers who struggle with utility bills are also managing food, housing, healthcare, transportation, childcare, or income pressures. Our platform gives a utility a scalable way to connect customers to assistance beyond the utility's own programs. Helping customers identify additional resources can support affordability, strengthen customer trust, and complement existing payment plans, energy-assistance programs, and arrears-management efforts.

Question 2

Does Single Stop screen only for utility assistance such as LIHEAP?

Accepted Answer

We screen for LIHEAP and weatherization as well as potential eligibility for food, healthcare, tax, childcare, education, and other public benefits, depending on the customer's state and circumstances. Customers can also search for nearby community resources. This broader approach matters because non-utility assistance can free household resources for essential bills.

Question 3

Can Single Stop reduce arrears or improve bill payment?

Accepted Answer

We help customers identify potential benefits and resources that can reduce financial pressure and improve their ability to manage household expenses. An Urban Institute study found that access to benefits reduced financial hardship by up to 48%, including unpaid utility bills and utility service shutoffs. Utilities can measure our impact by comparing participating customers with a similar group on payment-plan enrollment, utility-assistance uptake, debt reduction, missed payments, and arrears over time.

Question 4

What does the utility-customer experience look like?

Accepted Answer

A utility invites customers through email, text, web, call-center, or other approved channels to use a dedicated experience on our platform. The customer completes a 10- to 15-minute screening, reviews potential benefits and estimated values, and receives application guidance and local resources. We can also include the utility's own assistance, payment-plan options, or other selected resources in the experience.

Question 5

How should a utility encourage customers to use Single Stop?

Accepted Answer

A single announcement isn't enough. Strong programs use repeated, coordinated outreach; clear language about why the utility is offering the service; trusted utility branding; and messages tied to moments when customers are most likely to need help. Email, text, call-center scripts, account portals, bill inserts, community partners, and targeted campaigns can work together. We work with each utility to create an outreach plan and measurement approach before launch.

Question 6

What can the utility measure?

Accepted Answer

Our platform can measure campaign response where configured, screenings, potential eligibility, benefit categories, next-step activity, referrals, and user-reported outcomes. The utility can measure account outcomes such as arrears, debt reduction, payment plans, assistance-program participation, and bill payment. A privacy-protective identifier or approved data-matching method can connect the two datasets and support a clear assessment of impact.

Question 7

Can Single Stop support a multi-state utility?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our platform operates across all 50 states and applies state-specific benefit rules, application guidance, and local resources. A multi-state deployment can use a consistent customer experience while tailoring results to each customer's location. During implementation, we account for different regulatory requirements, utility programs, communications rules, and assistance resources in each service territory.

Question 8

What evidence is available from utility partnerships?

Accepted Answer

We have worked with utilities including Entergy, Pepco Holdings, Baltimore Gas and Electric, and EPCOR. Over the past year, our utility partners helped customers identify more than $550 million in potential benefits.

Empower Customers.‍
‍Reduce Delinquencies.‍
‍Improve Affordability — at Scale.

Single Stop Supports Partners and their Customers Across the Board

$197M

$27.52k

48%

54%*

Hear from Our Utilities Partners and Customers

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Empower Customers.‍‍Reduce Delinquencies.‍‍Improve Affordability — at Scale.