When the Lights Stay On, Electric Utility Linemen Are Still at Work

Rethinking Line Worker Appreciation and Electric Utility Brand Trust on National Linemen Appreciation Day

Executive Summary: Electric utilities can strengthen customer trust by making invisible line worker contributions visible—shifting from outage-focused storytelling to proactive communication that highlights reliability, human effort and continual grid improvement.

You probably haven’t thought about a line worker today. And that’s the point.

It’s early morning. The coffee maker hums to life. The thermostat has already adjusted the temperature. Your phone is fully charged, your Wi-Fi is steady, and your lights flip on without hesitation. Maybe you walk into your garage, unplug your electric vehicle (EV) and head out for the day.

But that seamless experience—the one we rarely notice—is the result of consistent, deliberate work happening behind the scenes. And at the center of that work are electric utility line workers.

Honoring the Electric Utility People Who Keep the Grid Invisible

Each year on April 18, National Linemen Appreciation Day recognizes the men and women who build, maintain and restore the infrastructure that powers our daily lives.

In this space last year, we focused on what happens when the lights go out—how line workers step in during storms and outages to restore power under challenging and often dangerous conditions.

That work is still critical. It’s still heroic. And it’s still one of the most visible ways customers experience the impact of line workers.

But this year, it’s worth shifting the lens, because the most important work line workers do often happens when nothing goes wrong.

What Do Linemen Do When There Are No Outages? Behind-the-Scenes Work That Powers Reliable Energy

In many parts of the country, powerlines are being moved underground. Innovations in transformer technology are enabling real-time monitoring, dynamic load balancing and faster fault isolation, all of which help utilities maintain service and restore power more quickly during disruptions.

From an electric utility customer perspective, that’s a win.

From a visibility standpoint, it creates a paradox: the more reliable the system becomes, the less visible the people are who make it that way.

Today’s line workers aren’t just responding to outages. They are:

• Inspecting and maintaining aging infrastructure
• Supporting grid modernization efforts
• Connecting renewable energy sources
• Building out EV charging infrastructure
• Preparing systems to withstand increasingly severe weather

Line workers are not just fixing the grid—they’re helping redefine it. And even if customers don’t see line workers regularly, their perception of electric utility performance is still deeply tied to what line workers represent: safety, reliability and responsiveness.

From Linemen “Hero Moments” to Everyday Impact for Electric Utility Customers

Data from Escalent’s Cogent Syndicated Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement: Residential™ study continue to show that how energy utilities communicate during outages, as well as how clearly they demonstrate field crew activity, has a direct impact on customer trust and brand perception.

This insight highlights an important opportunity for electric utilities to proactively share the work line workers do every day, not just during outages.

During major outages, we have seen utilities embrace sharing photos and updates from the field showing the damage, highlighting crews at work and keeping customers informed in real time. These “hero moments” are powerful because they humanize the work and generate immediate customer engagement.

So, what if that storytelling didn’t stop when power was restored?

By continuing to share your story, customers could begin to better understand over time:

• The preventative work that avoids outages altogether
• The planning and coordination behind grid upgrades
• The safety protocols that guide every decision in the field

By expanding the narrative beyond emergencies, electric utilities can reinforce reliability not just as an outcome, but as an ongoing effort.

The Human Side of Electric Utility Reliability

At the core of every outage restoration, infrastructure upgrade and maintenance project is a person (or a team of people) doing complex, physically demanding work, often in difficult conditions. Line workers:

• Work overnight shifts and extended hours during emergencies
• Navigate hazardous environments to ensure public safety
• Miss holidays and family events during major restoration efforts
• Train extensively to operate specialized equipment and follow strict safety standards

These aren’t just operational details; they’re human stories. And they resonate.

How Electric Utilities Can Showcase Preventative Maintenance to Improve Customer Perception

Elevating preventative utility and electric grid activities isn’t always easy to convey visually for electric utility brands. It’s a bit like filming a restaurant kitchen for a TV show—you wouldn’t focus on 20 minutes of onion chopping, even though that’s what makes many of the dishes come together.

We’ve seen two recent examples of effective storytelling from Alabama Power and Con Edison, both of whom have seen improvements in their Safety & Reliability perception scores in our Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement: Residential study over the last year:

• Alabama Power highlights the value of proactive maintenance by following two substation crew members as they conduct routine switchyard checks to support peak system performance.

• Con Edison showcases a neighborhood upgrade through a conversation walk-through between two crew members during a transformer installation project.

Both illustrate that bringing viewers into the field with crews helps make preventative work more tangible and relatable. Additionally, simple, conversational storytelling (vs. technical explanation) makes complex infrastructure work easier to understand and more engaging.

Four Strategies for Electric Utilities to Highlight Linemen Work and Strengthen Brand Trust With Customers

Today’s electric utility customers expect clear communication not only during outages, but also about the steps being taken to strengthen grid reliability before disruptions occur. How your utility brand communicates, both proactively and in the moment, can have a direct impact on Brand Trust.

Here are four ways your electric utility brand can elevate line worker visibility, strengthen reliability messaging, and build lasting customer trust:

1. Show the work before the outage: Don’t wait for a storm. Share maintenance, inspections and upgrade projects that keep the grid running smoothly.
2. Make crews visible—even when customers don’t see them: Use photos, videos and short-form content to bring behind-the-scenes work to life.
3. Explain the “why” behind the work: Help customers understand why certain projects, timelines or safety protocols matter.
4. Close the loop after major efforts: After outages or large projects, recap what was done, who was involved and what it means for future reliability.

How Electric Utilities Can Move Beyond Linemen Appreciation Day to Build Ongoing Trust

National Linemen Appreciation Day is an important moment to recognize the dedication, skill and sacrifice of these essential workers.

But appreciation doesn’t have to be limited to April 18—or to major storm events.

It can be built into how utilities communicate every day:

• Highlighting field crews as part of ongoing operations
• Reinforcing the connection between line worker efforts and customer experience
• Demonstrating the continual work required to keep the grid safe and reliable

Because whether the lights go out—or stay on—line workers are always at work. And that’s something worth recognizing.

If strengthening your outage and reliability communication strategy is a priority, Cogent Syndicated’s Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement: Residential study can help. We deliver actionable insights that enable electric, natural gas and combination utilities to enhance the customer experience, reduce effort and build lasting loyalty—especially when it matters most.

To learn how your utility can strengthen reliability communication and build customer trust, fill out the form below to connect with our energy industry experts.

 

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