January 28, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Customer engagement is rebounding—but energy utilities that pair transparency with visible follow-through and credible listening are pulling ahead in Brand Trust and Customer Engagement.
- Affordability, digital service and clear program communication now define the utility customer experience.
- Escalent’s Utility Customer Champions differentiate themselves by turning customer feedback into visible action, which reinforces customer trust and long-term confidence.
After several years of volatility, residential customer engagement across the electric, natural gas and combination utility industry is showing clear signs of recovery heading into 2026.
New data from Escalent’s Cogent Syndicated Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement: Residential study reveal that, for the second consecutive year, the year-end industry Engaged Customer Relationship (ECR) score has improved, fueled by broad gains in Brand Trust and Product Experience. Service Satisfaction has also increased, though more modestly, revealing where momentum is strongest—and where pressure points persist.
As customer engagement rebounds, a growing divide is emerging between electric, natural gas and combination utilities that are stabilizing and those that are pulling decisively ahead.
Why Energy Utility Brand Trust Is Rebounding—and What’s Threatening Long-Term Confidence
The industry’s gains in Brand Trust are rooted in stronger perceptions of Company Reputation and Community Support, driven largely by the belief that energy utilities follow through on their commitments as well as genuinely seek out and consider customer input on important issues. In periods of heightened uncertainty—particularly as national attention increasingly focuses on rising utility bills and the unclear cost of building infrastructure to support artificial intelligence (AI)—customers expect greater transparency.
Utilities can no longer afford to appear opaque: They must clearly define their key promises and consistently share progress updates that demonstrate follow-through—or risk declining Brand Trust as customers hear explanations for rate increases from outside voices.
Equally important is sharing concrete examples of how customer feedback influences decisions, reinforcing the credibility of listening efforts and humanizing utility actions.
Six Customer Engagement Strategies Energy Utilities Should Prioritize in 2026
In 2026, effective customer engagement will be defined by how well your utility listens, responds and delivers on commitments to customers. The following are six best practices to help strengthen engagement and build lasting positive customer relationships in the new year.
1. Treat affordability as a persistent challenge, not a temporary disruption.
Billing & Payment remains the single greatest constraint on Service Satisfaction. Electric, gas and combination utilities that make progress here recognize that affordability pressure is ongoing. Clearer bills, flexible payment options and consistent cost-management messaging help customers feel supported—even when rates are rising.
2. Build Brand Trust through visible follow-through.
Customers reward energy utilities that do what they say they will do. Publicly defining key commitments—such as reliability investments, service improvements or program changes—and providing regular progress updates allow customers to see utility promises turning into action.
3. Prove you’re listening by showing how customer feedback shapes decisions.
Brand Trust is also strengthened when utilities actively seek, consider and act on customer input. Sharing real examples of customer feedback influencing decisions reinforces the credibility of listening efforts and humanizes utility actions.
4. Clearly communicate the savings value of voluntary programs.
Product Experience gains are increasingly driven by customer confidence that utility offerings can help them save. Streamlined program descriptions, clearer explanations and highlighted savings outcomes strengthen perceived value and participation intent.
5. Optimize digital service channels to make savings easy to find and use.
Utilities seeing the strongest Product Experience scores ensure their digital platforms are intuitive, well-organized and tailored to customer needs—especially when it comes to helping customers understand their bills and find ways to control their energy use.
6. Accelerate digital service while modernizing the IVR.
Digital channels consistently outperform the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) for common service needs such as bill review, payments and account issue resolution. Leading utilities improve usability and self-service while also simplifying IVR menus, reducing transfers and hold times, and integrating digital handoffs to maintain acceptable service during the transition.
Energy Utility Customer Champions Are Turning Brand Trust Best Practices Into Results
Despite lingering pressure points, many electric, natural gas and combination utilities are now posting stronger customer engagement scores. Thirty-six utilities stand out, outperforming their peers by a wide margin and earning designation as Escalent’s 2025 Utility Customer Champions for their ability to build and sustain highly engaged residential customer relationships.
As economic uncertainty persists, the success of these Utility Customer Champions underscores a critical lesson for the industry: sustained focus on trust, transparency, affordability support and customer-centric execution is no longer optional. Utilities that consistently apply these best practices are not just recovering—they are redefining customer engagement leadership for the years ahead.
Discover how leading energy utilities are using customer insights to guide decisions and build Brand Trust. Connect with our team of energy and utility industry experts to explore what’s possible for your organization by filling out the form below.
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Suzanne Haggerty
Director, Syndicated Research
Suzanne is a director of syndicated energy research for Cogent Syndicated. In this role, she translates consumer data analysis from the Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™ studies into actionable insights and recommendations for clients. Suzanne is an experienced researcher, writer and customer experience strategist who has been tracking trends and identifying best practices in the utility industry for nearly 10 years. Before joining Escalent, she was director of customer engagement and insights at Chartwell, where she led a team of analysts in the development and delivery of utility research to address pressing industry needs. Suzanne holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a bachelor's degree in journalism and history from the University of Southern Mississippi.
