CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Utility customer satisfaction reaches a record high according to new research published today. The research shows that electric and natural gas utilities post an all-time high score of 767 (on a 1,000-point maximum scale). However, there is a huge 138-point difference between the highest- and lowest-scoring utilities because the best utilities have created experiences with customer ease and convenience in mind.
More than 80% of Service Satisfaction scoring is derived from how easy it is for customers to do business with their utility, which is why industry leaders on the Service Satisfaction index also post the best scores on the Customer Effort index measurement. This means that utilities focusing solely on traditional service and satisfaction metrics will likely fall behind those that have also made it easy for customers to do business with them.
Utility Service Satisfaction scoring | Customer Effort index | ||||
High Service Satisfaction score | 868 | ||||
Low Service Satisfaction score | 431 | ||||
These findings are from the latest release of the Cogent Reports™ 2017 Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential study offered by Market Strategies International. The Service Satisfaction index comprises utility customer ratings on safety, reliability, billing, payment, and customer and field service among 130 electric and natural gas utilities. The Customer Effort index is a modeled measure of how easy it is to interact with utilities across a number of utility-customer touchpoints.
“Utilities deserve accolades for the great work they have done improving operations. But customer expectations continue to grow each time utilities improve service,” said Chris Oberle, senior vice president at Market Strategies. “The next challenge for utility managers is to create convenient and easy experiences for customers. The best utilities are conducting customer journey and touchpoint enhancements that reduce customers’ efforts.”
Other significant utility service insights include:
- Satisfaction with outage handling has increased significantly for electric utilities.
- Satisfaction with safety events has increased significantly for natural gas utilities.
- Only 10% of customers think their utility can keep its system safe from cyber or terrorist attacks.
- 40% of customers think their utility can keep their personal information safe.
- 85% of low-income customers do or want to select their own payment due date.
- Paper bills remain the most-used billing channel while digital payment offerings cannibalize each other, with mobile payments gaining share over online and electronic billing.
- Email and phone are the most preferred customer service channels at most utilities.
Following are benchmark Service Satisfaction index scores for all 130 utilities covered in the study.
East Region SERVICE SATISFACTION Benchmark Scoring |
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Utility brand | Service Satisfaction index | Benchmark segment | ||||||||
NYSEG | 795 | Combination | ||||||||
BGE | 779 | Combination | ||||||||
RG&E | 777 | Combination | ||||||||
PSE&G | 763 | Combination | ||||||||
National Grid | 752 | Combination | ||||||||
Delmarva Power | 748 | Combination | ||||||||
PECO Energy | 746 | Combination | ||||||||
Con Edison | 742 | Combination | ||||||||
Eversource | 739 | Combination | ||||||||
PPL Electric Utilities | 790 | Electric | ||||||||
Penn Power | 771 | Electric | ||||||||
Central Maine Power | 758 | Electric | ||||||||
Duquesne Light | 756 | Electric | ||||||||
West Penn Power | 753 | Electric | ||||||||
Met-Ed | 737 | Electric | ||||||||
Penelec | 736 | Electric | ||||||||
Potomac Edison | 734 | Electric | ||||||||
Atlantic City Electric | 726 | Electric | ||||||||
PSEG Long Island | 726 | Electric | ||||||||
Monongahela Power | 722 | Electric | ||||||||
Appalachian Power | 703 | Electric | ||||||||
Jersey Central Power & Light | 683 | Electric | ||||||||
Pepco | 680 | Electric | ||||||||
National Fuel Gas | 800 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
UGI Utilities | 798 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Philadelphia Gas Works | 797 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Peoples | 795 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
New Jersey Natural Gas | 793 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Columbia Gas – East | 790 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Washington Gas | 783 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Elizabethtown Gas | 762 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
South Jersey Gas Company | 754 | Natural Gas |
Scoring is based upon a 1,000-point maximum scale. |
Index score of 500 or greater reflects positive levels of Service Satisfaction. |
Midwest Region SERVICE SATISFACTION Benchmark Scoring |
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Utility brand | Service Satisfaction index | Benchmark segment | ||||||||
Wisconsin Public Service | 790 | Combination | ||||||||
MidAmerican Energy | 789 | Combination | ||||||||
NIPSCO | 785 | Combination | ||||||||
Black Hills Energy – Midwest | 778 | Combination | ||||||||
Consumers Energy | 777 | Combination | ||||||||
Ameren Illinois | 775 | Combination | ||||||||
DTE Energy | 768 | Combination | ||||||||
Xcel Energy – Midwest | 768 | Combination | ||||||||
Vectren | 767 | Combination | ||||||||
We Energies | 764 | Combination | ||||||||
Alliant Energy | 762 | Combination | ||||||||
Duke Energy Midwest | 745 | Combination | ||||||||
ComEd | 778 | Electric | ||||||||
Ohio Edison | 770 | Electric | ||||||||
Indiana Michigan Power | 768 | Electric | ||||||||
Indianapolis Power & Light | 757 | Electric | ||||||||
OPPD | 756 | Electric | ||||||||
Ameren Missouri | 753 | Electric | ||||||||
The Illuminating Company | 747 | Electric | ||||||||
Dayton Power & Light | 746 | Electric | ||||||||
AEP Ohio | 745 | Electric | ||||||||
KCP&L | 741 | Electric | ||||||||
Westar Energy | 730 | Electric | ||||||||
Toledo Edison | 730 | Electric | ||||||||
SEMCO Energy Gas Company | 802 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
CenterPoint Energy – Midwest | 790 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Columbia Gas of Ohio | 787 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Atmos Energy | 785 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Nicor Gas | 779 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Kansas Gas Service | 776 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Missouri Gas Energy | 769 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Laclede Gas | 766 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Peoples Gas | 756 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Dominion Energy Ohio | 755 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Citizens Energy | 747 | Natural Gas |
Scoring is based upon a 1,000-point maximum scale. |
Index score of 500 or greater reflects positive levels of Service Satisfaction. |
South Region SERVICE SATISFACTION Benchmark Scoring |
||||||||||
Utility brand | Service Satisfaction index | Benchmark segment | ||||||||
CPS Energy | 768 | Combination | ||||||||
SCE&G | 765 | Combination | ||||||||
Louisville Gas & Electric | 764 | Combination | ||||||||
MLGW | 740 | Combination | ||||||||
Florida Power & Light | 807 | Electric | ||||||||
Georgia Power | 795 | Electric | ||||||||
Public Service Company of Oklahoma | 794 | Electric | ||||||||
Kentucky Utilities | 793 | Electric | ||||||||
OG&E | 787 | Electric | ||||||||
JEA | 783 | Electric | ||||||||
Duke Energy Carolinas | 782 | Electric | ||||||||
Entergy | 779 | Electric | ||||||||
Gulf Power | 778 | Electric | ||||||||
Nashville Electric Service | 771 | Electric | ||||||||
OUC | 771 | Electric | ||||||||
Xcel Energy – South | 766 | Electric | ||||||||
Duke Energy Florida | 764 | Electric | ||||||||
Alabama Power | 760 | Electric | ||||||||
Duke Energy Progress | 757 | Electric | ||||||||
Dominion Energy Virginia | 754 | Electric | ||||||||
Southwestern Electric Power Company | 749 | Electric | ||||||||
Mississippi Power | 749 | Electric | ||||||||
TECO Tampa Electric | 743 | Electric | ||||||||
Austin Energy | 731 | Electric | ||||||||
El Paso Electric | 719 | Electric | ||||||||
Kentucky Power | 691 | Electric | ||||||||
PSNC Energy | 818 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Piedmont Natural Gas | 817 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Alagasco | 809 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
TECO Peoples Gas | 809 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Columbia Gas | 807 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Atmos Energy | 806 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
CenterPoint Energy | 801 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Oklahoma Natural Gas | 796 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Virginia Natural Gas | 781 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Texas Gas Service | 779 | Natural Gas |
Scoring is based upon a 1,000-point maximum scale. |
Index score of 500 or greater reflects positive levels of Service Satisfaction. |
West Region SERVICE SATISFACTION Benchmark Scoring |
||||||||||
Utility brand | Service Satisfaction index | Benchmark segment | ||||||||
Xcel Energy – West | 793 | Combination | ||||||||
SDG&E | 770 | Combination | ||||||||
Puget Sound Energy | 755 | Combination | ||||||||
NorthWestern Energy | 749 | Combination | ||||||||
Avista | 746 | Combination | ||||||||
Black Hills Energy – West | 741 | Combination | ||||||||
PG&E | 728 | Combination | ||||||||
Salt River Project | 810 | Electric | ||||||||
SMUD | 808 | Electric | ||||||||
Idaho Power | 784 | Electric | ||||||||
Seattle City Light | 779 | Electric | ||||||||
Pacific Power | 777 | Electric | ||||||||
APS | 772 | Electric | ||||||||
Portland General Electric | 771 | Electric | ||||||||
Southern California Edison | 771 | Electric | ||||||||
Tucson Electric Power | 768 | Electric | ||||||||
Rocky Mountain Power | 767 | Electric | ||||||||
NV Energy | 755 | Electric | ||||||||
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power | 727 | Electric | ||||||||
PNM | 705 | Electric | ||||||||
Dominion Energy – West | 818 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
SoCalGas | 807 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Intermountain Gas Company | 800 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
NW Natural | 790 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Southwest Gas | 790 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Cascade Natural Gas | 789 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
New Mexico Gas Company | 788 | Natural Gas |
Scoring is based upon a 1,000-point maximum scale. |
Index score of 500 or greater reflects positive levels of Service Satisfaction. |
Following are benchmark Customer Effort index scores for all 130 utilities covered in the study.
East Region CUSTOMER EFFORT Benchmark Scoring |
||||||||||
Utility brand | Customer Effort index | Benchmark segment | ||||||||
NYSEG | 788 | Combination | ||||||||
BGE | 777 | Combination | ||||||||
PECO Energy | 766 | Combination | ||||||||
PSE&G | 764 | Combination | ||||||||
RG&E | 750 | Combination | ||||||||
National Grid | 745 | Combination | ||||||||
Delmarva Power | 741 | Combination | ||||||||
Eversource | 734 | Combination | ||||||||
Con Edison | 733 | Combination | ||||||||
PPL Electric Utilities | 788 | Electric | ||||||||
Duquesne Light | 760 | Electric | ||||||||
Penn Power | 747 | Electric | ||||||||
West Penn Power | 745 | Electric | ||||||||
Potomac Edison | 737 | Electric | ||||||||
Met-Ed | 736 | Electric | ||||||||
Penelec | 736 | Electric | ||||||||
PSEG Long Island | 730 | Electric | ||||||||
Monongahela Power | 728 | Electric | ||||||||
Atlantic City Electric | 725 | Electric | ||||||||
Central Maine Power | 724 | Electric | ||||||||
Pepco | 704 | Electric | ||||||||
Appalachian Power | 699 | Electric | ||||||||
Jersey Central Power & Light | 687 | Electric | ||||||||
UGI Utilities | 802 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Philadelphia Gas Works | 792 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
National Fuel Gas | 791 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Peoples | 788 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
New Jersey Natural Gas | 787 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Columbia Gas – East | 783 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Elizabethtown Gas | 773 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Washington Gas | 769 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
South Jersey Gas Company | 736 | Natural Gas |
Scoring is based upon a 1,000-point maximum scale.
Midwest Region CUSTOMER EFFORT Benchmark Scoring |
||||||||||
Utility brand | Customer Effort index | Benchmark segment | ||||||||
Black Hills Energy – Midwest | 788 | Combination | ||||||||
NIPSCO | 788 | Combination | ||||||||
MidAmerican Energy | 782 | Combination | ||||||||
Wisconsin Public Service | 781 | Combination | ||||||||
We Energies | 772 | Combination | ||||||||
Consumers Energy | 766 | Combination | ||||||||
DTE Energy | 758 | Combination | ||||||||
Ameren Illinois | 755 | Combination | ||||||||
Duke Energy Midwest | 750 | Combination | ||||||||
Vectren | 749 | Combination | ||||||||
Xcel Energy – Midwest | 748 | Combination | ||||||||
Alliant Energy | 735 | Combination | ||||||||
ComEd | 768 | Electric | ||||||||
Indianapolis Power & Light | 767 | Electric | ||||||||
Ohio Edison | 765 | Electric | ||||||||
Indiana Michigan Power | 757 | Electric | ||||||||
OPPD | 755 | Electric | ||||||||
Ameren Missouri | 750 | Electric | ||||||||
KCP&L | 742 | Electric | ||||||||
AEP Ohio | 740 | Electric | ||||||||
Toledo Edison | 739 | Electric | ||||||||
Dayton Power & Light | 737 | Electric | ||||||||
The Illuminating Company | 734 | Electric | ||||||||
Westar Energy | 726 | Electric | ||||||||
SEMCO Energy Gas Company | 806 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Atmos Energy – Midwest | 790 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
CenterPoint Energy – Midwest | 786 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Nicor Gas | 778 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Columbia Gas of Ohio | 774 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Kansas Gas Service | 771 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Peoples Gas | 761 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Dominion Energy Ohio | 758 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Citizens Energy | 757 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Missouri Gas Energy | 755 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Laclede Gas | 751 | Natural Gas |
Scoring is based upon a 1,000-point maximum scale.
South Region CUSTOMER EFFORT Benchmark Scoring |
||||||||||
Utility brand | Customer Effort index | Benchmark segment | ||||||||
CPS Energy | 768 | Combination | ||||||||
SCE&G | 765 | Combination | ||||||||
Louisville Gas & Electric | 761 | Combination | ||||||||
MLGW | 754 | Combination | ||||||||
Georgia Power | 796 | Electric | ||||||||
Florida Power & Light | 793 | Electric | ||||||||
Kentucky Utilities | 790 | Electric | ||||||||
Public Service Company of Oklahoma | 786 | Electric | ||||||||
OG&E | 784 | Electric | ||||||||
JEA | 781 | Electric | ||||||||
Duke Energy Carolinas | 777 | Electric | ||||||||
Xcel Energy – South | 776 | Electric | ||||||||
Alabama Power | 769 | Electric | ||||||||
Gulf Power | 768 | Electric | ||||||||
Duke Energy Progress | 766 | Electric | ||||||||
Duke Energy Florida | 766 | Electric | ||||||||
OUC | 765 | Electric | ||||||||
Entergy | 755 | Electric | ||||||||
Dominion Energy Virginia | 753 | Electric | ||||||||
Mississippi Power | 751 | Electric | ||||||||
Nashville Electric Service | 747 | Electric | ||||||||
Austin Energy | 738 | Electric | ||||||||
TECO Tampa Electric | 732 | Electric | ||||||||
Southwestern Electric Power Company | 729 | Electric | ||||||||
El Paso Electric | 711 | Electric | ||||||||
Kentucky Power | 687 | Electric | ||||||||
PSNC Energy | 814 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Atmos Energy – South | 811 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Piedmont Natural Gas | 810 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Columbia Gas – South | 809 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
TECO Peoples Gas | 800 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Alagasco | 798 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
CenterPoint Energy – South | 791 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Oklahoma Natural Gas | 790 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Texas Gas Service | 772 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Virginia Natural Gas | 767 | Natural Gas |
Scoring is based upon a 1,000-point maximum scale.
West Region CUSTOMER EFFORT Benchmark Scoring |
||||||||||
Utility brand | Customer Effort index | Benchmark segment | ||||||||
Xcel Energy – West | 789 | Combination | ||||||||
SDG&E | 762 | Combination | ||||||||
Puget Sound Energy | 754 | Combination | ||||||||
NorthWestern Energy | 738 | Combination | ||||||||
PG&E | 729 | Combination | ||||||||
Avista | 729 | Combination | ||||||||
Black Hills Energy – West | 725 | Combination | ||||||||
Salt River Project | 807 | Electric | ||||||||
SMUD | 805 | Electric | ||||||||
APS | 774 | Electric | ||||||||
Idaho Power | 772 | Electric | ||||||||
Southern California Edison | 766 | Electric | ||||||||
Tucson Electric Power | 765 | Electric | ||||||||
Seattle City Light | 764 | Electric | ||||||||
Portland General Electric | 761 | Electric | ||||||||
Pacific Power | 760 | Electric | ||||||||
NV Energy | 759 | Electric | ||||||||
Rocky Mountain Power | 757 | Electric | ||||||||
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power | 720 | Electric | ||||||||
PNM | 690 | Electric | ||||||||
Dominion Energy – West | 820 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
SoCalGas | 811 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Intermountain Gas Company | 787 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
NW Natural | 784 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
New Mexico Gas Company | 784 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Cascade Natural Gas | 764 | Natural Gas | ||||||||
Southwest Gas | 759 | Natural Gas |
Scoring is based upon a 1,000-point maximum scale.
About the Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement: Residential report
Cogent Reports conducted surveys among 58,556 residential electric, natural gas and combination utility customers of the 130 largest US utility companies (based on residential customer counts). The sample design uses US census data and strict quotas to ensure a demographically balanced sample of each evaluated utility’s customers based on age, gender, income, race and ethnicity. Utilities within the same region and of the same type (e.g., electric-only providers) are given equal weight in order to balance the influence of each utility’s customers on survey results. Market Strategies will provide the exact wording of any survey questions upon request.
About Market Strategies International
Market Strategies International is a leading provider of research and consulting services to utility management, trusted by the world’s most successful organizations to help them thrive. We blend primary research with data from our syndicated, benchmarking and self-funded studies to provide clients with exceptional research insight that helps solve their challenges. Our research specialties include brand, communications, CX, product development and segmentation. Our syndicated products, known as Cogent Reports, help clients understand the market environment, explore industry trends and monitor their brand within the competitive landscape. Founded in 1989, Market Strategies is one of the largest market research firms in the world. Read Market Strategies’ blog at FreshMR, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.