The CRU Customer Care Annual Report 2025, published in June 2026, gives Irish energy providers an encouraging foundation. Customer contacts to the regulator fell 13 per cent to 21,427, and the CRU closed 735 cases, up 57 per cent. Most queries concerned billing, and over 2.08 million smart meters are now installed. Together these facts make the bill the sector's most important customer experience touchpoint and its greatest opportunity to build lasting relationships.

The report points to three opportunities for energy leaders shaping a cx strategy: redesigning billing clarity and accuracy as a core service, using smart meter data for proactive engagement, and applying regulator insight to resolve issues early. Together they form a customer centric strategy that treats the bill as a conversation rather than a statement. Each can be piloted quickly and measured clearly.

Billing is the most concentrated opportunity. The CRU reports that most queries concerned high or unexpected bills, catch-up charges, estimated readings, and billing accuracy. Because the issues are few and specific, targeted fixes can lift customer satisfaction widely. The customer effort principle from Harvard Business Review shows that reducing effort is the strongest predictor of loyalty, and a bill that explains itself in plain language is a clear example of service excellence.

Smart meters make accurate and proactive service possible. With over 2.08 million installed, estimated readings can give way to actual data, and the CRU notes that smart meters are transforming how customers are billed and engage with energy services. Suppliers can offer usage insights, early alerts, and tariff guidance through an omnichannel experience that carries the same information across app, email, and phone, strengthening the digital customer experience customers value. Customers then see their usage clearly.

Regulator insight is a free design roadmap. The CRU upheld over a third of cases in the consumer's favour and has committed to faster resolution and stronger supplier engagement with customers in 2026. It also engages with the National Energy Affordability Taskforce. Treating these findings as a voice of the customer signal, suppliers can use customer insights to act before a query becomes a case, and proactive support at the right moment is a proven way to build customer loyalty.

Three steps would allow Irish energy providers to act. First, audit the bill itself, rewriting explanations of unexpected charges, catch-up charges, and estimated readings in plain language and testing them with customers. Second, use smart meter data to send usage alerts and tariff guidance as digital experience features. Third, set early-contact protocols for customers who may need support, tracking progress against CXi Ireland benchmarking and the CRU's consumer information resources.

The CRU's 2025 report is an encouraging evidence base for Irish energy leaders. Contacts are falling, resolution is improving, and smart meters give suppliers the data to lead. Providers that treat the bill as a designed touchpoint will deliver customer experience excellence and earn the trust that customers extend to suppliers who explain, anticipate, and support. The opportunity is practical, measurable, and available to suppliers now.