January 7, 2025
Escalent Recognizes 24 Utilities as 2024 Business Customer Champions
A new Cogent Syndicated report from Escalent finds that business customer engagement with utilities has improved significantly, ending a trending decline that began at the end of 2021. Although all major indices see year-over-year improvement, a significant Brand Trust gain has had the most impact on the Engaged Customer Relationship (ECR) score recovery, with improved scoring related to utility company reputation and business community support leading the index gain.
Those are some of the latest findings of the 2024 Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™ (UTBCE): Business study, which tracks the performance of 78 gas, electric and combination utilities to identify brand and customer experience opportunities and trends in the industry. The report is published semiannually by Escalent, a top data analytics and advisory firm with extensive energy, utility and brand experience.
After reaching a peak of 793 in mid-2021, the business ECR score steadily declined throughout 2022 and 2023 until it reached a low of 766. The score finally turned around in early 2024 and has ended the year at 784.
Even when index scores see significant declines, none has dropped below levels in the second half of 2019, and scores in the second half of 2024 are significantly higher than pre-pandemic.
“While the industry is unable to maintain the pandemic scoring boost seen in 2020 and early 2021 for residential customers, utilities have been able to retain a large portion of that increase for business customers,” said Suzanne Haggerty, director of syndicated research with the Energy industry practice at Escalent.
While the industry has maintained a higher level of engagement with business customers, 24 utilities have ECR scores well above their industry peers and have earned recognition as Escalent’s 2024 Business Utility Customer Champions.
While excelling in metrics throughout the study, Business Customer Champions are performing remarkably well with smaller business customers, which have historically reported lower engagement levels.
“Utilities that develop focused programs, customer service options and communication for small and midsize business customers see higher engagement scores,” Haggerty explained.
For example, the 2024 Business Customer Champions outperform the industry for the perception among business customers with less than $500K in revenue that utility programs help customers save money and energy. Additionally, the Billing & Payment Index score for Business Customer Champions is significantly higher than the industry average and is buoyed by utilities that connect smaller business customers with specialized resources that help them understand their bills, interpret energy rates and find relevant energy-efficiency programs.
Escalent is pleased to name these 24 utilities as our 2024 Business Customer Champions.
| Cogent Syndicated 2024 Business Customer Champions* | |
| AEP Ohio | Louisville Gas & Electric |
| AES Indiana | National Grid |
| Ameren Missouri | Nicor Gas |
| BGE | Ohio Edison |
| CenterPoint Energy – South | PSE&G |
| Con Edison | Salt River Project |
| Dominion Energy South Carolina | Seattle City Light |
| DTE Energy | Southwestern Electric Power Company |
| Duke Energy Florida | TECO Tampa Electric |
| Florida Power & Light | The Illuminating Company |
| Georgia Power | Virginia Natural Gas |
| LADWP | Xcel Energy – Midwest |
*Utilities named as Business Customer Champions are selected based on having Engaged Customer Relationship Index scores in the top decile of the industry, the top score within their respective benchmark segment, or an Engaged Customer Relationship Index score within 20 points of the top benchmark segment score and above the industry average.
The following tables reflect regional peer benchmark Engaged Customer Relationship scores among the 78 utilities surveyed.
| East Region Utilities Customer Engagement Performance | |
| Utility brand name | ECR score |
| National Grid | 818 |
| BGE | 816 |
| PSE&G | 813 |
| Con Edison | 813 |
| Jersey Central Power & Light | 797 |
| PECO Energy | 793 |
| PSEG Long Island | 787 |
| PPL Electric Utilities | 785 |
| West Penn Power | 763 |
| Duquesne Light | 761 |
| NYSEG | 759 |
| Eversource | 748 |
| Penelec | 748 |
| Appalachian Power | 737 |
| Midwest Region Utilities Customer Engagement Performance | |
| Utility brand name | ECR score |
| DTE Energy | 809 |
| Ameren Missouri | 806 |
| Ohio Edison | 802 |
| AEP Ohio | 799 |
| The Illuminating Company | 791 |
| AES Indiana | 790 |
| Xcel Energy – Midwest | 790 |
| Ameren Illinois | 786 |
| Indiana Michigan Power | 786 |
| ComEd | 781 |
| Consumers Energy | 772 |
| Alliant Energy | 770 |
| Duke Energy Midwest | 769 |
| Wisconsin Public Service | 769 |
| AES Ohio | 768 |
| Evergy | 766 |
| We Energies | 760 |
| OPPD | 757 |
| NIPSCO | 751 |
| MidAmerican Energy | 750 |
| Southern Region Utilities Customer Engagement Performance | |
| Utility brand name | ECR score |
| Dominion Energy South Carolina | 836 |
| Florida Power & Light | 836 |
| Georgia Power | 835 |
| Southwestern Electric Power Company | 833 |
| Louisville Gas & Electric | 827 |
| Duke Energy Florida | 823 |
| TECO Tampa Electric | 819 |
| Mississippi Power | 814 |
| Duke Energy Carolinas | 808 |
| CPS Energy | 806 |
| Alabama Power | 803 |
| Kentucky Utilities | 801 |
| El Paso Electric | 787 |
| Dominion Energy Virginia | 784 |
| FPL Northwest FL | 771 |
| Public Service Company of Oklahoma | 770 |
| JEA | 765 |
| Entergy | 765 |
| OG&E | 763 |
| Duke Energy Progress | 745 |
| West Region Utilities Customer Engagement Performance | |
| Utility brand name | ECR score |
| Seattle City Light | 843 |
| Salt River Project | 842 |
| LADWP | 835 |
| APS | 808 |
| Puget Sound Energy | 807 |
| Southern California Edison | 796 |
| SMUD | 788 |
| Rocky Mountain Power | 782 |
| Pacific Power | 778 |
| Idaho Power | 769 |
| NV Energy | 768 |
| Xcel Energy Colorado | 757 |
| PG&E | 756 |
| NorthWestern Energy | 755 |
| PNM | 753 |
| Colorado Springs Utilities | 752 |
| Portland General Electric | 730 |
| SDG&E | 589 |
| Natural Gas Utilities Customer Engagement Performance | |
| Utility brand name | ECR score |
| Nicor Gas | 817 |
| CenterPoint Energy – South | 808 |
| Virginia Natural Gas | 806 |
| CenterPoint Energy – Midwest | 782 |
| Chattanooga Gas Company | 779 |
Click below for more information on the full report.
About the Cogent Syndicated Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Business study
Escalent conducted surveys among 12,308 business customers of 78 US electric, natural gas and combination 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.
