Payscore adds utility setup and savings to resident verification

Payscore has partnered with Public Grid to fold electricity setup and utility savings into its income and identity verification flow for housing applicants. The move gives property teams visibility into utility status while helping residents activate accounts, find discounts and avoid missed sign-ups after move-in.

Why it matters: - Utility setup is now part of the approval process, not an afterthought. - The integration is designed to reduce missed electricity sign-ups, lower move-in surprises for property teams and help residents capture savings they may otherwise miss. - The approach also gives owners usage and account-status data they can use for operating forecasts, benchmarking and sustainability reporting.

What happened: - Payscore added utility verification to its resident experience through a partnership with Public Grid. - Residents who complete verification with Payscore are prompted to set up electricity or connect an existing utility account. - Property teams can see each resident’s utility status in one place. - The companies announced the integration on Oct. 29, 2026.

The details: - Payscore is the income, identity and asset verification platform used by property management companies across market-rate and affordable housing. - Public Grid handles utility setup and savings for residents after verification. - Residents can set up electricity through Public Grid or verify an existing account by securely connecting their utility login or uploading a bill. - The workflow confirms the account itself instead of accepting a typed account number or screenshot. - Public Grid is free to residents. - The service checks what residents are paying, what programs and assistance they qualify for, and whether a better rate is available. - In markets with supplier choice, Public Grid keeps monitoring the account after setup to catch rate changes. - Residents who already have electricity can use the verification path without starting over. - Property teams can track status as not started, pending activation, active or shut off after move-in. - Teams can remind residents before keys are handed over if setup is incomplete. - Teams can flag a cancelled account early after move-in before unpaid charges build up. - Payscore says it connects directly to financial institutions, payroll providers and gig platforms, covering 99% of financial institutions in North America. - Payscore relies on uploaded documents only about 2% of the time. - Public Grid says setup takes under three minutes, compared with six to seven hours of hold times and paperwork for a manual setup. - The partnership also gives owners in-unit usage data they otherwise would not see. - Payscore customers receive that data through the same product they already use, with no new vendor to manage. - Payscore was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Seattle. - Public Grid is also known as Cottage Energy, Inc. d.b.a. Public Grid.

Between the lines: - The integration pushes utility onboarding into a moment when residents are already completing a required verification step, which may improve completion rates. - The companies are also using utility setup as a way to surface affordability programs and lower ongoing energy costs, not just to verify accounts. - For property owners, the value proposition extends beyond resident convenience to better cost control and earlier detection of billing risk. - For affordable housing operators, the early visibility may matter more because late utility fees are increasingly restricted.

What's next: - The companies said they plan to extend the same approach across the properties Payscore serves. - The partnership is built to keep working after lease signing so residents continue to surface savings opportunities over time. - Monthly account monitoring is intended to keep energy costs manageable and catch rate increases after move-in.

The bottom line: - Payscore and Public Grid are turning utility setup into part of the housing approval workflow, aiming to reduce resident friction, improve affordability and give landlords clearer visibility into account status and energy usage. - More information: Payscore - More information: Public Grid