Houston, TX — April 14, 2026 — E Source today announced that submissions are now open for its 2026 awards series, recognizing excellence in utility customer experience, employee experience, and marketing. Open to electric, gas, and water utilities across the United States and Canada, the series highlight initiatives that demonstrate measurable results, clear strategy, and impact on customers and operations.
The 2026 award categories:
- Customer and Employee Experience Awards (open for submissions April 8–June 12, 2026)
- Utility Ad Awards (open for submissions April 1–May 15, 2026)
About the E Source Awards Series
The CX/EX Awards and Utility Ad Awards are annual E Source awards that collect and evaluate utility initiatives in CX/EX and marketing, generating a collection of proven strategies, performance metrics, and peer examples.
Unlike other awards that focus only on recognition, E Source awards create a structured way for utilities to learn from one another and apply proven approaches in their own organizations.
Why This Matters for Utilities
Utilities are investing heavily in CX/EX and marketing, but many often lack visibility into what actually works across the industry.
These awards turn individual company initiatives into shared insights and practical benchmarks utilities can use to inform future initiatives.
Executive Perspective
“For many teams, the challenge isn’t a lack of ideas—it’s understanding what results those ideas actually produce,” said Filomena Gogel, Head of Research & Analytics at E Source. “Our awards provide that clarity so utilities can evaluate and adopt proven strategies with greater confidence.”
CX/EX Awards
The Customer and Employee Experience Awards recognize utilities that improve customer and employee experiences. Categories include residential customer experience, business customer experience, and employee experience.
Topic examples:
- Billing and payment journey improvements
- Outage communications
- Digital experience enhancements
- Affordability and assistance programs
- Employee engagement initiatives that influence customer outcomes
The awards also include a Small Utility Excellence Award, recognizing organizations serving 300,000 customers or fewer.
Utility Ad Awards
The Utility Ad Awards recognize effective utility marketing and communications campaigns. Strong submissions demonstrate clear objectives, defined audiences, and measurable outcomes.
Categories reflect major utility priorities, including energy efficiency, electrification, safety communications, and customer engagement.
Judging criteria:
- Strategy and objectives
- Message clarity and audience alignment
- Creative execution
- Measurement and performance
Submit Your Entry
Learn more and submit your entries:
- CX/EX Awards (by June 12)
- Utility Ad Awards (by May 15)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can submit for the E Source awards?
Electric, gas, and water utilities located in the United States and Canada are eligible to submit entries to the E Source CX/EX Awards and Utility Ad Awards.
Why should utilities participate in the E Source awards?
Utilities participate in the E Source Awards to benchmark their work against peers, gain visibility into proven strategies, and understand what results similar initiatives can deliver across customer experience and marketing.
When are submissions due for the E Source awards?
Submissions for the Utility Ad Awards are due on May 15, 2026. Submissions for the CX/EX Awards are due on June 12, 2026.
About E Source
E Source is a research, consulting, and data science company focused on the North American utility industry. It helps utilities improve customer experience and engagement, optimize grid performance, and strengthen operations through benchmarking, analytics, and industry expertise. E Source brings clarity to utility challenges by translating data and proven practices into actionable insights that support better decisions and measurable results. Learn more at www.esource.com.
Media Contact
Amy Sachrison
VP, Corporate Marketing
E Source