Restructuring the Benchmarking Survey for Electric & Gas Utility Billing Departments

This discussion focused on refining the benchmarking survey and addressing the evolving needs of billing professionals. Participants reviewed the structure and content of the annual billing questionnaire, examining existing and proposed questions to enhance clarity, relevance, and data utility. Key discussion points included billing volumes, billing accuracy, electronic billing promotion, exception processing, and the integration of rates into the survey framework.

The group expressed strong support for aligning survey questions with actionable insights, such as understanding high e-bill adoption strategies, improving exception processing timelines, and delineating channels for customer billing and notifications. Participants emphasized the importance of exploring not just current practices but also their effectiveness to foster shared learning.

A key outcome was the decision to balance the questionnaire content with forum-based discussions to explore complex topics like EDI billing, budget billing strategies, and regulatory constraints affecting billing practices. These insights will inform the finalization of the survey for broader benchmarking and peer learning opportunities.