Five Budget Musts for Rate Change Storytelling

You’ve probably heard whispers in the hallway or seen concern in your leadership team’s eyes. 2026 is shaping up to be a challenging year for consumer-owned utilities across the nation. We’re hearing from members who are facing not just one rate increase, but potentially multiple adjustments—a small bump this fall or winter, followed by a more significant increase to start the year. And even that might not be enough.

It’s a perfect storm: labor costs continue to climb, materials and equipment prices remain up, and wholesale power costs add pressure to already-tight budgets. For many utilities, the question isn’t whether rates will increase, it’s how to brace the community for multiple increases when wallets already feel squeezed.

Communicating one rate increase is complex enough. But when you’re looking at two potential increases within months of each other, your story strategy is critical. Consumer fatigue is real, and each increase becomes harder to justify.

Pioneer’s peer-researched guide, “How to Talk About Raising Rates,” found consumers must be exposed to a rate change message several times before it sticks. With multiple increases on the horizon, this principle is even more important. You need sustained, consistent messaging across multiple channels.

Budget for Bad News

Traditional rate increase communications often follow a single-phase approach: announce, explain, implement. But 2026 — or anytime there are multiple increases in a 12 or 18 month period — requires a more sophisticated, multiphase strategy.

Budget for:

1. Staff Training: Enhanced employee training programs help front-line staff confidently discuss complex rate structures and changes with friends and family. Your employees represent hundreds of community relationships. Make sure they understand and can tell your story.
2. Community Research: Complete focus groups or consumer research to understand how your community is processing economic pressures and utility costs.
3. Digital Storytelling Tools: Microsites, dedicated landing pages, social media management tools and email platforms help you share rate story updates quickly. See an example from the Utility Pioneers at Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Co-op: ssvec-rateinfo.org.
4. Cost Campaigns: Early education campaigns explaining price pressures and utility steps to trim budgets set the stage for rate increase notices.
5. Consumer Education: Rate calculators, bill comparison tools and energy efficiency programs help members manage costs. Budget for tools to not only tell your story but help consumers manage rising costs.

Successful Utility Pioneers don’t wait until the last minute to navigate rate increase communications. They build community understanding early, invest in relationships and create easily adaptable communication frameworks.

Remember: You’re Not Alone

Every utility’s situation is unique, but many of your peers are facing rate increases. The Utility Pioneers effectively managing these conversations share one trait—they invested in communications before rate increases hit.

Need help crafting your story? That’s why our co-op was created. Reach out to hello@pioneer.coop or schedule a meeting with our member solutions team to start planning a strategic rate increase storytelling plan.