Paris Board of Public Utilities

Overview

A Utility Rooted in Community, Designed for the Future

Established in 1938, Paris Board of Public Utilities (Paris BPU) is a municipal utility authority providing electric, water, and wastewater services to residents and businesses throughout Henry County, Tennessee. Formed to return local control of essential services and support economic development, the organization has spent more than eight decades focused on delivering safe, reliable, and affordable utilities while enhancing quality of life across the community. From its early expansion of rural electric service to today’s multi-utility operations serving more than 22,000 homes and businesses, Paris BPU has remained guided by stewardship, accountability, and long-term value.

As the organization continued to grow and modernize its operations, Paris BPU sought a website that better reflected who they are today. They partnered with Powerful to create a platform aligned with their mission and responsive to how customers now seek information online. The goals of the redesign centered on increasing engagement, presenting a modern and forward-thinking identity, and organizing information in a way that feels intuitive. The new website supports how Paris BPU communicates services, promotes programs, and helps visitors quickly find what they need.

Elevating Everyday Communication

Paris BPU wanted to increase engagement with programs that directly impact customers, particularly outage information and energy efficiency resources. These initiatives are essential to day-to-day life, yet they are often overlooked when placed deep within internal pages. The organization needed a way to present important topics clearly and encourage visitors to explore them further.

Powerful implemented the Halsey blueprint, a promotional layout designed to spotlight priority content. The homepage now features structured sections that combine a strong image, a bold header, brief explanatory text, and a descriptive button that links to detailed internal pages.

At launch, Paris BPU prioritized two major communication areas: outage awareness and energy efficiency tips. The outage section provides clear context about reporting outages and staying informed, while the energy efficiency section introduces savings tools and educational resources. Each section is visually distinct and intentionally placed so visitors can identify relevant topics at a glance.

The layout also includes prominent quick-access actions such as Outage Map, Pay Bill, Start Service, and Contact Us. These features support routine tasks while the promotional sections introduce broader programs and initiatives.

By placing outage communication and energy efficiency education directly on the homepage, Paris BPU increases visibility around programs that may otherwise receive limited attention. This supports greater participation, reinforces transparency, and reflects the organization’s role as a trusted community resource. The result is a website that feels current and purposeful while staying grounded in the utility’s long-standing mission.

Clear Guidance During Service Interruptions

One of the primary reasons someone visits a utility website is to report or understand a service interruption. For Paris BPU, this experience needed to account for three distinct services: electric, water, and wastewater, along with security and street lighting. Without organization, this depth of services could feel overwhelming.

Paris BPU aimed to improve engagement during these critical moments by making outage information easier to navigate and understand.

Powerful created a visualized Outage & Storm Center page designed around clarity. At the top of the page, visitors are presented with four clearly labeled buttons that ask what type of outage they are experiencing: Electric, Wastewater, Water, or Security Light/Street Light. These buttons function as anchor tabs. When a visitor selects one, the page automatically scrolls to the corresponding section. This reduces the need to manually search for relevant information.

For example, a visitor experiencing a water issue can select the Water option and immediately see step-by-step guidance, reporting instructions, and additional context about line blockages and responsibilities. The page uses icons, numbered steps, and clearly separated sections to organize content. Contact information and reporting methods are visible without requiring excessive scrolling.

From a visitor’s perspective, the experience feels straightforward. Someone may arrive on the homepage after noticing an issue, click the outage promotion, and land directly in a structured environment that anticipates their needs. Instead of scanning dense paragraphs, they select their service type and are guided to relevant instructions.

This approach increases engagement by making it easier for customers to act. During outages or severe weather, time and clarity matter. The visualized page supports Paris BPU’s commitment to safety and responsiveness while showcasing the full scope of services offered.