Franklin Energy Modernizes Incentive Payments with Choice Digital

As a national leader in delivering demand-side management and clean energy programs, Franklin Energy works with utilities across the country to drive customer participation and measurable results. But while its programs were scaling quickly, its payment systems were stuck in the past. Manual, check-based disbursements created friction for customers, slowed program delivery, and burdened staff with time-consuming, error-prone processes.

Franklin needed a modern, flexible way to issue payments that could keep pace with its mission and growing network of utility partners.

Paper checks and manual workflows were limiting Franklin’s ability to deliver value at scale. Payments often took too long to reach customers and contractors, creating frustration and reducing program momentum. Meanwhile, staff had limited visibility into payment status, making it difficult to resolve issues quickly or ensure regulatory compliance.

In short: the old system was slowing everyone down.

Franklin partnered with Choice Digital to overhaul its disbursement process and introduce a secure, self-service payment platform. The goal was to create a payment system that was faster, more flexible, and easier to manage, all without sacrificing compliance or cost efficiency.

With Choice Digital, Franklin Energy was able to:

• Expand options for participants with ACH, prepaid cards, PayPal, Venmo, and traditional checks.

• Accelerate delivery so customers and contractors received payments in days rather than weeks.

• Provide real-time visibility through a centralized portal for tracking, issue resolution, and support.

• Maintain audit readiness with built-in compliance and reporting tools tailored for publicly funded programs.

What began as a tactical shift away from paper quickly became a strategic advantage for Franklin’s clean energy programs.

• Faster payments boosted satisfaction and reduced support inquiries.

• Flexible choices ensured accessibility across diverse demographics.

• Lower costs came from eliminating printing, mailing, and reissuance of checks.

• Stronger compliance gave Franklin confidence in meeting program standards.

By modernizing its disbursement system with Choice Digital, Franklin Energy has aligned its back-office operations with the scale and impact of its clean energy mission. Payments are now faster, more flexible, and fully compliant, allowing Franklin to deliver better results for utilities, customers, and communities nationwide.

As Franklin continues to expand its programs, Choice Digital ensures that payments keep pace, empowering the company to focus on what matters most: building a cleaner, more efficient energy future.