LIVONIA, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fifty-four percent of business customers are highly engaged with their electric and natural gas utilities, driving the industry’s Engaged Customer Relationship (ECR) Index to an all-time high of 786 (on a 1,000-point maximum scale) for 2021. Escalent’s ECR Index is a comprehensive customer relationship measurement used by utility management to assess customer engagement. Among business customers, utilities now tie with other premier business service providers, such as primary banks, Google and Amazon, for having the most engaged relationships. This information is from the Cogent Syndicated 2021 Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Business study by top human behavior and analytics advisory firm Escalent.
Businesses elevated their engagement during the pandemic as they relied on utilities to support their local economies and customers. Utility outreach to local communities is leading to a spike in brand strength, as 58% of business customers say they are highly loyal to their utility. This growth in loyalty is providing a positive impact on utility profits, as half of businesses prefer to use their utility for consumption management and expanded energy-related offerings. In fact, 67% of businesses use a utility offering beyond basic service enhancements.
Despite this strong performance, the study finds that utilities still have to sharpen their focus on customer engagement, as most businesses say they are open to offers from other energy providers. One threat is that 30% of business customers are open to using a third party for alternative energy, such as community or rooftop solar.
“Since 91% of businesses are satisfied with utility service, management teams are now building value by expanding their goals to engaging customers across all touchpoints,” said Chris Oberle, senior vice president, Escalent. “Greater outreach, innovative offerings and brand trust have led businesses to engage with their utility and they want to engage even more deeply. But businesses have also made it clear that if utilities don’t provide the value they seek beyond basic service, they will move to other providers who do.”
Escalent congratulates the 2021 Business Customer Champion utilities listed below, whose customer engagement positions them as best-in-class providers. Their customers value the relationship they have forged with them and are looking to further engage with them as trusted energy advisers.
Escalent 2021 Business Customer Champions |
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Alabama Power |
Duke Energy Progress |
Public Service Company of Oklahoma |
APS |
El Paso Electric |
Puget Sound Energy |
BGE |
Florida Power & Light |
Salt River Project |
CenterPoint Energy – South |
Georgia Power |
Seattle City Light |
Chattanooga Gas Company |
Idaho Power |
TECO Peoples Gas |
Con Edison |
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power |
TECO Tampa Electric |
Dominion Energy Ohio |
NV Energy |
Virginia Natural Gas |
Dominion Energy West |
OG&E |
We Energies |
DTE Energy |
PNM |
Xcel Energy – West |
Duke Energy Florida |
PSE&G |
|
EAST REGION: Customer Engagement Benchmark Performance
Utility brand name |
ECR score |
Con Edison |
828 |
BGE |
817 |
PSE&G |
800 |
NYSEG |
787 |
PPL Electric Utilities |
786 |
National Grid |
778 |
PECO Energy |
777 |
Appalachian Power |
763 |
Jersey Central Power & Light |
761 |
Penelec |
757 |
PSEG Long Island |
756 |
West Penn Power |
747 |
Eversource Energy |
715 |
MIDWEST REGION: Customer Engagement Benchmark Performance
Utility brand name |
ECR score |
We Energies |
849 |
DTE Energy |
824 |
Ameren Missouri |
798 |
Consumers Energy |
796 |
AEP Ohio |
790 |
MidAmerican Energy |
787 |
Ameren Illinois |
784 |
NIPSCO |
783 |
AES Ohio |
778 |
Xcel Energy – Midwest |
777 |
Duke Energy Midwest |
776 |
Wisconsin Public Service |
773 |
Indiana Michigan Power |
769 |
OPPD |
763 |
AES Indiana |
760 |
Alliant Energy |
759 |
Ohio Edison |
751 |
ComEd |
743 |
Evergy |
729 |
The Illuminating Company |
725 |
SOUTH REGION: Customer Engagement Benchmark Performance
Utility brand name |
ECR score |
Duke Energy Florida |
811 |
OG&E |
810 |
Florida Power & Light |
808 |
Georgia Power |
803 |
Duke Energy Progress |
798 |
TECO Tampa Electric |
792 |
Alabama Power |
791 |
El Paso Electric |
791 |
Public Service Company of Oklahoma |
791 |
Louisville Gas & Electric |
788 |
Dominion Energy Virginia |
783 |
Mississippi Power |
772 |
Entergy |
769 |
Duke Energy Carolinas |
764 |
CPS Energy |
760 |
Kentucky Utilities |
758 |
JEA |
751 |
Southwestern Electric Power Company |
750 |
Dominion Energy South Carolina |
749 |
Gulf Power |
743 |
WEST REGION: Customer Engagement Benchmark Performance
Utility brand name |
ECR score |
Xcel Energy – West |
841 |
Seattle City Light |
828 |
Puget Sound Energy |
806 |
APS |
804 |
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power |
804 |
PNM |
804 |
Idaho Power |
803 |
Salt River Project |
802 |
NV Energy |
800 |
SMUD |
797 |
Southern California Edison |
795 |
Colorado Springs Utilities |
785 |
SDG&E |
784 |
Pacific Power |
780 |
PG&E |
777 |
Portland General Electric |
760 |
Rocky Mountain Power |
757 |
NorthWestern Energy |
740 |
NATURAL GAS UTILITIES: Customer Engagement Benchmark Performance
Utility brand name |
ECR score |
TECO Peoples Gas |
837 |
CenterPoint Energy – South |
819 |
Dominion Energy West |
808 |
Chattanooga Gas Company |
803 |
Virginia Natural Gas |
802 |
Dominion Energy Ohio |
801 |
CenterPoint Energy – Midwest |
798 |
Nicor Gas |
796 |
Dominion Energy North Carolina |
789 |
About Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Business
Escalent conducted surveys among 16,604 business electric and natural gas utility customers of 81 US utility companies. Utilities within the same region are given equal weight to balance the influence of each utility’s customers on survey results. The Engaged Customer Relationship (ECR) index is a composite score based upon a 360-degree customer review of how engaged businesses are with their energy utility provider. Scores are composed of ratings across service satisfaction, brand and product experiences. Escalent will supply the exact wording of any survey question upon request.
About Escalent
Escalent is a top human behavior and analytics advisory firm specializing in industries facing disruption and business transformation. As catalysts of progress for more than 40 years, we transform data and insight into a profound understanding of what drives human beings. And we help businesses turn those drivers into actions that build brands, enhance customer experiences and inspire product innovation. Visit escalent.co to see how we are helping shape the brands that are reshaping the world.
