CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New research shows the utility industry is being disrupted by consumer demand for new energy sources and innovative offerings. Customers’ decisions on who to use for these offerings are based on who they see as trusted energy advisors. However, in a concerning development for the utility industry, the research shows a five-point decline to 687 (on a 1,000-point scale) in the industry’s Brand Trust Index from last year. Only 15 utilities significantly improved their brand trust standing, while 29 utilities weakened. These findings are from the 2018 Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential Cogent Reports™ study by Market Strategies International.
Today Market Strategies named the 44 elite Most Trusted Utility Brands for 2018. These utilities have earned the trust of their customer base and are perceived to be industry leaders on innovation. They are also more successful at achieving customer adoption of the enhanced offerings and options they have developed. Overall for the industry, only 14% of customers view their utility as a trusted energy adviser, only 18% view it as an industry leader on innovation and 80% are open to a non-utility third party providing their energy.
“Building greater trust and brand preference throughout the customer journey is now critical to reap customer support for utility innovation,” said Chris Oberle, senior vice president at Market Strategies International. “Utilities need to identify what they can do to deliver a better, more connected consumer experience, as non-utility third-party providers are becoming increasingly relevant to customers.”
| Utility Success with New Offerings Are Tied to Brand Trust | ||||
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Residential Usage of Select Utility Value-added Offerings |
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| High Brand | Low Brand | |||
| Utility Value-added Offerings | Trust | Trust | ||
| Digital services and notifications | 34% | 21% | ||
| Consumption management programs | 14% | 4% | ||
| Rate options | 14% | 6% | ||
“It is our mission to help utilities move their brand and business forward. For the past few years, the study has showed that future utility success is tied to tracking and managing trust among a changing customer base seeking more than reliable core utility service,” continued Oberle. “Utilities have been touting innovation for a while and we find that customers are now navigating a journey to understand new offerings and alternative providers. Consumers form perceptions of every company that serves them and they will choose to do business with the companies they trust.”
The Brand Trust index is based upon 35 rating questions that relate to a suite of emotional attachment and management performance factors. The study also provides market demand profiles for over 60 value-added offerings.
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EAST REGION |
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| Service | Utility brand | Brand Trust index | ||
| Combination | BGE | 702 | ||
| Combination | PECO | 696 | ||
| Combination | National Grid | 695 | ||
| Combination | Con Edison | 690 | ||
| Combination | Delmarva Power | 686 | ||
| Combination | NYSEG | 683 | ||
| Combination | PSE&G | 679 | ||
| Combination | RG&E | 668 | ||
| Combination | Eversource | 659 | ||
| Electric | PPL Electric Utilities | 705 | ||
| Electric | Duquesne Light Company | 684 | ||
| Electric | Atlantic City Electric | 678 | ||
| Electric | Penelec | 658 | ||
| Electric | West Penn Power | 655 | ||
| Electric | PSEG Long Island | 655 | ||
| Electric | Monongahela Power | 641 | ||
| Electric | Penn Power | 641 | ||
| Electric | Met-Ed | 640 | ||
| Electric | Pepco | 638 | ||
| Electric | Potomac Edison | 635 | ||
| Electric | Central Maine Power | 627 | ||
| Electric | Jersey Central Power & Light | 609 | ||
| Electric | Appalachian Power | 585 | ||
| Natural gas | UGI Utilities | 735 | ||
| Natural gas | National Fuel Gas | 734 | ||
| Natural gas | New Jersey Natural Gas | 728 | ||
| Natural gas | Washington Gas | 723 | ||
| Natural gas | Philadelphia Gas Works | 723 | ||
| Natural gas | Columbia Gas – East | 703 | ||
| Natural gas | South Jersey Gas Company | 701 | ||
| Natural gas | Elizabethtown Gas | 694 | ||
| Natural gas | Peoples | 686 | ||
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MIDWEST REGION |
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| Service | Utility brand | Brand Trust index | ||
| Combination | DTE Energy | 725 | ||
| Combination | NIPSCO | 719 | ||
| Combination | Black Hills Energy – Midwest | 718 | ||
| Combination | MidAmerican Energy | 717 | ||
| Combination | Wisconsin Public Service | 717 | ||
| Combination | Alliant Energy | 709 | ||
| Combination | Consumers Energy | 700 | ||
| Combination | Vectren | 683 | ||
| Combination | Xcel Energy – Midwest | 683 | ||
| Combination | We Energies | 682 | ||
| Combination | Duke Energy Midwest | 680 | ||
| Combination | Ameren Illinois | 679 | ||
| Electric | Indiana Michigan Power | 696 | ||
| Electric | OPPD | 693 | ||
| Electric | KCP&L | 691 | ||
| Electric | Ohio Edison | 689 | ||
| Electric | Indianapolis Power & Light | 685 | ||
| Electric | ComEd | 679 | ||
| Electric | The Illuminating Company | 674 | ||
| Electric | Dayton Power & Light | 673 | ||
| Electric | Ameren Missouri | 670 | ||
| Electric | AEP Ohio | 661 | ||
| Electric | Toledo Edison | 650 | ||
| Electric | Westar Energy | 640 | ||
| Natural gas | Columbia Gas of Ohio | 713 | ||
| Natural gas | SEMCO Energy Gas Company | 712 | ||
| Natural gas | Nicor Gas | 710 | ||
| Natural gas | Citizens Energy | 704 | ||
| Natural gas | CenterPoint Energy – Midwest | 700 | ||
| Natural gas | Dominion Energy Ohio | 698 | ||
| Natural gas | Atmos Energy – Midwest | 691 | ||
| Natural gas | Peoples Gas | 682 | ||
| Natural gas | Kansas Gas Service | 680 | ||
| Natural gas | Spire Missouri | 664 | ||
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SOUTH REGION |
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| Service | Utility brand | Brand Trust index | ||
| Combination | CPS Energy | 695 | ||
| Combination | Louisville Gas & Electric | 680 | ||
| Combination | MLGW | 665 | ||
| Combination | SCE&G | 630 | ||
| Electric | Georgia Power | 730 | ||
| Electric | Florida Power & Light | 723 | ||
| Electric | JEA | 721 | ||
| Electric | OUC | 715 | ||
| Electric | Kentucky Utilities | 707 | ||
| Electric | Gulf Power | 702 | ||
| Electric | Mississippi Power | 699 | ||
| Electric | Southwestern Electric Power Company | 693 | ||
| Electric | Public Service Company of Oklahoma | 692 | ||
| Electric | OG&E | 689 | ||
| Electric | TECO Tampa Electric | 687 | ||
| Electric | Alabama Power | 683 | ||
| Electric | Entergy | 680 | ||
| Electric | Dominion Energy Virginia | 671 | ||
| Electric | Duke Energy Carolinas | 671 | ||
| Electric | Duke Energy Progress | 671 | ||
| Electric | Xcel Energy – South | 671 | ||
| Electric | Nashville Electric Service | 667 | ||
| Electric | Duke Energy Florida | 663 | ||
| Electric | Austin Energy | 657 | ||
| Electric | El Paso Electric | 618 | ||
| Electric | Kentucky Power | 560 | ||
| Natural gas | TECO Peoples Gas | 781 | ||
| Natural gas | Atmos Energy – South | 762 | ||
| Natural gas | Piedmont Natural Gas | 738 | ||
| Natural gas | Oklahoma Natural Gas | 726 | ||
| Natural gas | CenterPoint Energy – South | 724 | ||
| Natural gas | Columbia Gas – South | 723 | ||
| Natural gas | PSNC Energy | 717 | ||
| Natural gas | Spire South | 707 | ||
| Natural gas | Texas Gas Service | 701 | ||
| Natural gas | Virginia Natural Gas | 698 | ||
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WEST REGION |
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| Service | Utility brand | Brand Trust index | ||
| Combination | Xcel Energy – West | 706 | ||
| Combination | Puget Sound Energy | 688 | ||
| Combination | NorthWestern Energy | 673 | ||
| Combination | SDG&E | 659 | ||
| Combination | PG&E | 641 | ||
| Combination | Avista | 630 | ||
| Combination | Black Hills Energy – West | 613 | ||
| Electric | Salt River Project | 724 | ||
| Electric | SMUD | 723 | ||
| Electric | Portland General Electric | 709 | ||
| Electric | Idaho Power | 697 | ||
| Electric | Tucson Electric Power | 693 | ||
| Electric | NV Energy | 690 | ||
| Electric | Southern California Edison | 688 | ||
| Electric | Rocky Mountain Power | 687 | ||
| Electric | Pacific Power | 684 | ||
| Electric | Seattle City Light | 680 | ||
| Electric | APS | 653 | ||
| Electric | Los Angeles Department of Water & Power | 628 | ||
| Electric | PNM | 613 | ||
| Natural gas | NW Natural | 739 | ||
| Natural gas | Southwest Gas | 726 | ||
| Natural gas | Intermountain Gas Company | 723 | ||
| Natural gas | Cascade Natural Gas | 709 | ||
| Natural gas | Dominion Energy – West | 705 | ||
| Natural gas | SoCalGas | 701 | ||
| Natural gas | New Mexico Gas Company | 654 | ||
About Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement: Residential study
Market Strategies conducted surveys among 60,310 residential electric, natural gas and combination utility customers of the 130 largest US utility companies (based on residential customer counts). The sample design uses a combination of quotas and weighting based on US census data 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 supply 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.
