A sponsored report from KUBRA, published by Utility Dive, says bill payment has become a defining part of the utility customer experience. The report's survey data shows that 60% of customers now pay through a utility's own logged-in channel, making it the default. Legacy options such as bank bill pay, mail, phone, and in-person payments each account for only single-digit percentages of customers.
Digital wallets are growing quickly: 42% of consumers have used one to pay a bill, up from 37% in 2022. Among wallet users, PayPal and Apple Pay are nearly tied, and 59% manage two or more wallets. Yet only 24% of customers know they can pay their utility bill with a digital wallet, even though 50% say they would consider it. The report frames this as a communication problem rather than a technology gap.
Credit cards remain a steady middle channel, used by 42% of consumers for utility bills, with rewards and cashback driving two-thirds of that usage. Flexible payment options are a smaller but real interest: 37% value installment plans or buy-now-pay-later, and 40% are interested in or already using BNPL for bills. The report warns that utilities that ignore these trends risk higher call center costs and brand erosion, while those that promote existing options can capture adoption that is already available.