Why measuring ROI for push notifications matters in utilities marketing

Push notifications can play a key role in how energy utilities communicate with customers—reminding them about peak usage times, promoting green energy offers, or alerting them to outages. But as a beginner in digital marketing, you may wonder: How do you show that these messages actually add value? Without clear measurement, your team can waste time sending notifications that don’t move the needle.

Focusing on measurable results helps you justify the effort and budget for push notifications. It also allows you to improve campaigns based on what actually works. The following 15 practical steps guide you through setting up, tracking, and proving the return on investment (ROI) of push notifications for energy utilities.

1. Define clear objectives linked to business goals

Start by defining what “success” looks like for your push notifications. Are you aiming to:

• Reduce peak energy demand by encouraging customers to shift usage?
• Increase sign-ups for a new solar program?
• Improve customer satisfaction by sending timely outage alerts?

Aligning notification goals with your utility’s business priorities helps you select the right metrics to track. For example, if your goal is demand response, metrics like the percentage reduction in usage during peak hours matter most.

Gotcha: Don’t confuse message opens with business impact. A high open rate alone doesn’t mean customers changed behavior.

2. Segment your audience based on customer data

Utilities collect plenty of customer data—usage patterns, account types, geographic location, and more. Use this data to group customers into meaningful segments.

For instance, you might target:

• Residential customers with time-of-use meters for peak-demand notifications
• Commercial clients for energy efficiency program offers
• Customers who recently reported outages for follow-up satisfaction messages

Segmentation allows you to send relevant notifications, which improves engagement and makes ROI measurement more accurate.

Tip: Start simple with 2-3 segments and expand later. Over-segmenting can dilute your data and complicate tracking.

3. Choose the right push notification platform with analytics

Not all push notification tools are created equal. Pick one that integrates with your existing customer database and provides detailed analytics—such as click-through rates, conversion tracking, and cohort analysis.

Examples of platforms used in utilities include Airship and OneSignal. Make sure the tool can tie notifications back to on-site actions—like enrolling in an energy-saving program or paying a bill.

Caveat: Free versions often limit reporting capabilities. If your budget allows, investing in a paid plan is worthwhile for ROI measurement.

4. Set up conversion tracking for each notification type

Conversion tracking means defining what action counts as a success. For utilities, this might be:

• Clicking a link to an energy audit signup page
• Downloading a usage report from the mobile app
• Scheduling a technician visit after an outage alert

Work with your web or app developers to implement tracking pixels, event tags, or SDKs to capture these actions.

Gotcha: If tracking isn’t set up correctly, your data will be incomplete or misleading. Test tracking thoroughly before launching campaigns.

5. Use UTM parameters to track campaign sources

When notifications include links, add UTM parameters. These are tags added to URLs to identify traffic sources in tools like Google Analytics.

Example:
https://utility.com/solar-offer?utm_source=push_notification&utm_campaign=solar_april

This lets you see exactly how many visitors and conversions came from push notifications versus other channels like email or social media.

Tip: Consistently naming campaigns makes analysis easier, especially if multiple people manage notifications.

6. A/B test different message versions

Test variations in your notification text, timing, or call-to-action buttons to see what drives the highest engagement and conversions.

For example, one utility tested:

• Notification A: “Beat the peak! Save money during 4-7 PM.”
• Notification B: “Lower your bills with off-peak energy use—details inside.”

Results showed a 35% higher click rate on Notification B.

Caveat: Don’t test too many variables at once. Change one element per test to learn what really matters.

7. Monitor open rates, but focus on downstream actions

Open rates show how many customers saw your notification, but don’t stop there. Track what those customers do next, such as visiting a page or completing a form.

For example, an outage alert with an 80% open rate but no increase in outage reports might mean the message was read but confusing.

Gotcha: Some devices pre-load notifications, inflating open rates.

8. Build dashboards that combine push data with business KPIs

Create dashboards to visualize how push notifications affect key business outcomes. Use tools like Google Data Studio or Tableau to pull data from your notification platform, web analytics, and CRM.

For example:

Dashboards help communicate your story clearly to stakeholders.

9. Use customer feedback surveys selectively

Quantitative data is key, but don’t overlook customer feedback. Use short surveys to ask how useful or timely your notifications are.

Tools like Zigpoll, SurveyMonkey, or Google Forms can be embedded in notification links or follow-up emails.

Example question: “Did this notification help you reduce your energy usage during peak hours?”

Tip: Keep surveys brief to get better response rates.

10. Attribute revenue or cost savings where possible

For utilities, ROI may mean increased program enrollments or operational savings from reduced support calls.

Try to estimate:

• How much revenue came from push-driven signups
• Cost savings from customers avoiding peak-time surcharges
• Reduced call center volume due to outage notifications

Example: One utility calculated a $15,000 monthly saving by reducing customer service calls through timely push alerts.

Caveat: Not all benefits are directly measurable. A baseline comparison period helps estimate impact.

11. Set benchmarks using industry data

Without benchmarks, your metrics have little context. For push notifications, a 2024 Forrester report found average click-through rates range between 10–15% across utilities campaigns.

If your CTR is 3%, it signals room for improvement.

Compare your data against:

• Industry reports
• Past internal campaigns
• Competitor public case studies

12. Automate reporting to save time and avoid errors

Manually compiling metrics is error-prone and time-consuming. Use automation tools like Zapier or built-in reporting features to send weekly or monthly reports directly to your team or stakeholders.

This ensures consistent communication about ROI without last-minute scrambles.

13. Watch for seasonality and external factors

Energy usage and engagement often vary by season—summer cooling demand, winter heating, storm season. These affect push notification performance and ROI.

For example, an industrial energy efficiency offer may convert better in January when budgeting starts.

Gotcha: Don’t assume all changes in metrics are due to push strategies. Control for external influences when assessing ROI.

14. Maintain compliance with privacy regulations

Utilities handle sensitive customer data, so you must follow laws like the CCPA or GDPR.

Ensure:

• Customers opt-in before receiving push notifications
• Your tracking respects privacy preferences
• Data is stored securely

Violations can lead to fines and damage to your brand, which negatively impacts ROI indirectly.

15. Prioritize based on high-impact, low-effort actions

Not all measurement steps require the same effort or produce equal insights. Focus first on:

• Clear objectives (#1)
• Conversion tracking (#4)
• Dashboards (#8)

Then expand to segmentation (#2), A/B testing (#6), and customer feedback (#9) as you gain confidence.

For example, one utility started with tracking clicks and conversions and saw a 4x ROI within six months before adding more sophisticated tests.

Measuring ROI for push notifications in utilities is about connecting the dots between your messages and real customer actions. By following these steps, you can turn raw data into insights that prove your work adds value—building credibility and improving your campaigns one notification at a time.