Engaged Energy Consumers Are More Satisfied With Their Electric Utility

LIVONIA, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new, national survey confirms a widespread belief among energy industry executives and managers: Engagement matters. Consumers who are more knowledgeable about their electric utility products and services—including smart energy technology—and actively manage their energy usage, have a stronger and more positive relationship with their utility than consumers who do not, according to results of the latest Market Strategies International E2 (Energy + Environment) Study.

“It also measures knowledge levels and real world behaviors to provide a well-rounded understanding of what it means to be an engaged energy customer.”

Editor’s Note: Jack Lloyd will host a webinar called “Engagement Matters: What Every Utility Needs to Know about its Customers” at 3 p.m. EDT on October 18. Learn more and register.

Conducted twice each year, the national survey captures Americans’ attitudes and opinions about the issues that arise where energy and the environment intersect. The latest wave of E2 research was designed to establish an “E2 Engagement Index,” based on multiple measures that reflect how knowledgeable, involved and active consumers are in:

Managing their energy usage
Understanding and using smart grid and smart meter technology
Taking advantage of utility programs and services

The study also found, however, that nearly two-thirds of consumers show little evidence of engagement with their utility and energy management, which means there is a significant opportunity for utilities to increase engagement and boost their customer satisfaction levels.

“The Engagement Index is about more than just consumer attitudes,” said Jack Lloyd, senior vice president in the Energy division at Market Strategies. “It also measures knowledge levels and real world behaviors to provide a well-rounded understanding of what it means to be an engaged energy customer.”

He added, “The findings are clear: Engagement equals satisfaction. The more utilities inform their customers about smart technology, and the more they convince them to get involved in managing their energy usage, the more those customers will value electricity and be satisfied with their utility.”

About the E2 (Energy + Environment) Study

The latest version represents the tenth wave of this on-going study. A total of 1,008 interviews were completed May 5 through May 21, 2012 with consumers nationwide. Respondents were recruited via an online panel to reflect key characteristics of the US population. The data were weighted by age, gender and census region to match the demographics of the US population. Due to its opt-in nature, an online panel does not yield a random probability sample of the target population. As such, it is not possible to compute a margin of error or to statistically quantify the accuracy of projections. Market Strategies will supply the exact wording of all survey questions upon request.

About Market Strategies International

Market Strategies International is a market research consultancy with deep expertise in communications, energy, financial services, healthcare and technology. The firm is ISO 20252 certified, reflecting its commitment to providing intelligent research, designed to the highest levels of accuracy, with meaningful results that help companies make business decisions with confidence.

Market Strategies conducts qualitative and quantitative research in 75 countries, and our research specialties include brand, communications, customer experience, product development, segmentation and user experience. Founded in 1989, Market Strategies consistently ranks as one of the 25 largest global market research firms, according to an annual report published in Marketing News. Read Market Strategies’ blog at FreshMR, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.