CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Renewable energy is now the dominant customer choice for the nation’s power supply. Over 40% of consumers now prefer renewable utility generation as a first or second choice compared with just 25% last year. And 45% of the public says it is willing to pay a higher utility bill in order to achieve 100% renewable energy. The second-most preferred fuel for generation is cleaner-burning natural gas (30%). These findings are from the 2019 Cogent Reports Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential study from Market Strategies International-Morpace.
The study surveyed 61,023 utility customers of 140 electric, natural gas and combination utilities over the last 12 months and scored the utilities on an Environmental Dedication index. Today, in honor of Earth Day, 29 utilities score high enough on this index to be named Environmental Champions.
“Consumers have become more environmentally conscious and now expect the companies they use to share that same concern. The good news is that our research shows that utilities have responded to these expectations and are being viewed through a more positive environmental lens by their customers,” said Chris Oberle, senior vice president at Market Strategies International-Morpace. “With Earth Day being celebrated today across the globe, this is a great time to name the utilities doing the best job responding to customers’ environmental expectations as Environmental Champions.”
Market Strategies International-Morpace is pleased to designate the utilities below as the 2019 Environmental Champions. These utilities have been rated among the best on their environmental commitment, support of environmental causes and aiding customers to become more environmentally friendly.
| 2019 Environmental Champions | ||||||
| AEP Ohio | MidAmerican Energy | PPL Electric Utilities | ||||
| Atlantic City Electric | National Fuel Gas | Puget Sound Energy | ||||
| Citizens Energy | New Jersey Natural Gas | Salt River Project | ||||
| Columbia Gas – East | NW Natural | SEMCO Energy Gas Company | ||||
| Columbia Gas of Ohio | OUC | SMUD | ||||
| ComEd | Peoples Gas | TECO Peoples Gas | ||||
| Con Edison | Pepco | UGI Utilities | ||||
| CPS Energy | Philadelphia Gas Works | Washington Gas | ||||
| Dayton Power & Light | Piedmont Natural Gas | Xcel Energy – Midwest | ||||
| DTE Energy | Portland General Electric | |||||
About Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential
Market Strategies-Morpace surveyed 61,023 residential electric, natural gas and combination utility customers of the 140 largest US utility companies (based on residential customer counts). The Environmental Dedication index is a twelve-month-trailing average score derived from utility consumer ratings on five factors. 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-Morpace will supply the exact wording of any survey question upon request.
About Market Strategies International-Morpace
Leading market research firms Market Strategies International and Morpace bring clients closer to their customers through exceptional insights. The firms specialize in brand, customer experience, product development and segmentation research, and are known for blending primary research with data from syndicated, benchmarking and self-funded studies to help clients succeed. They have earned the trust of many of the world’s top brands across the automotive, consumer & retail, energy, financial services, health, technology and telecommunications industries. Market Strategies and Morpace are combining into one firm, as part of an acquisition of both firms by STG, and will be rebranded under a new name to be announced in 2019. With more than 450 research professionals, the collective firm is now the 15th largest market research firm in the US and top 25 globally.
