December 19, 2024
Escalent Recognizes 47 Utilities as 2024 Customer Champions
A new Cogent Syndicated report from Escalent finds that, for the first time since 2020, year-end utility customer engagement has improved. 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 company reputation leading the index gain.
Those are some of the latest findings of the 2024 Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™ (UTBCE): Residential study, which tracks the performance of 142 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 728 at the end of 2020, the residential ECR score had been steadily declining until it reached a record low of 700 in the first quarter of 2024. The score showed signs of a turnaround in the second quarter and ends 2024 at 708—a statistically significant six points higher than year-end 2023.
“We expected ECR and other UTBCE indices to course-correct after the scoring surge of 2020,” said Suzanne Haggerty, director of syndicated research with the Energy industry practice at Escalent. “When scores began to slide below prepandemic levels in early 2023, however, we realized that many utilities would have to take quick and decisive actions to reverse that trend.”
While industry engagement is finally trending upward and many utilities are starting to see healthier scores, 47 utilities are scoring well above their industry peers for building engaged customer relationships and have earned the title of Escalent 2024 Utility Customer Champion.
“These aren’t utilities that have suddenly started outscoring their peers in 2024,” Haggerty explained. “Most Customer Champions have higher scores now than they did prepandemic, meaning they held on to at least some of that 2020 scoring bump.”
Customer Champions outperform the industry average in several attributes, notably:
- Customer Champions have carefully guarded their company’s character and built goodwill within their local communities, contributing to 6% higher Company Reputation scores and customers who are more likely to report a willingness to say positive things about their utility.
- Customer Champions are providing transparent updates on their commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels and supporting environmental causes, leading to 4% higher Environmental Dedication Index scores. Additionally, Customer Champions have made year-over-year progress in the index, gaining eight points as the industry score drops by one point.
- Customer Champions have effectively communicated to customers about system improvement plans, contributing to the 4% higher perception that their utilities are making investments to improve infrastructure safety and reliability. This is an important perception when rate cases are underway or increased rates begin to appear on the bill, since elevated perception of those investments correlates with 12% higher trust in utilities to set and communicate fair, reasonable rates.
- Customer Champions are ensuring customer awareness and understanding of a variety of voluntary offerings that offer everything from improved customer service to energy savings, seeing 5% higher Benefits Awareness Index scores and 4% higher customer perception of related communication.
Leading utilities that have protected their company reputations and continue to illustrate their value to customers with effective programs and clear communication about improvements are building engaged relationships.
Escalent is pleased to name these 47 utilities as our 2024 Customer Champions.
| Cogent Syndicated 2024 Customer Champions* | |
| Ameren Missouri | Mississippi Power |
| Atmos Energy – Midwest | National Fuel Gas |
| Atmos Energy – South | New Jersey Natural Gas |
| Avista | Nicor Gas |
| BGE | OPPD |
| Black Hills Energy – Midwest | OUC |
| Cascade Natural Gas | PPL Electric Utilities |
| CenterPoint Energy – Midwest | PSE&G |
| CenterPoint Energy – South | Peoples |
| Chattanooga Gas Company | Pepco |
| Columbia Gas – East | Piedmont Natural Gas |
| Columbia Gas – South | Puget Sound Energy |
| Columbia Gas of Ohio | Salt River Project |
| ComEd | South Jersey Gas Company |
| Con Edison | Southwest Gas |
| Delmarva Power | Spire Missouri – West |
| Dominion Energy South Carolina | TECO Peoples Gas |
| Elizabethtown Gas | TECO Tampa Electric |
| Enbridge Gas North Carolina | UGI Utilities |
| Florida City Gas Company | Virginia Natural Gas |
| Georgia Power | Washington Gas |
| Green Mountain Power | Wisconsin Public Service |
| Indiana Michigan Power | Xcel Energy – Midwest |
| Intermountain Gas Company | |
* Utilities named as 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 142 utilities surveyed.
| East Region Utilities Customer Engagement Performance | ||
| Utility brand Name | Service provided | ECR score |
| PSE&G | Combination | 735 |
| BGE | Combination | 717 |
| Con Edison | Combination | 717 |
| Delmarva Power | Combination | 717 |
| PECO | Combination | 713 |
| National Grid | Combination | 712 |
| Eversource | Combination | 690 |
| NYSEG | Combination | 657 |
| RG&E | Combination | 631 |
| PPL Electric Utilities | Electric | 731 |
| Green Mountain Power | Electric | 725 |
| Pepco | Electric | 720 |
| Duquesne Light Company | Electric | 703 |
| West Penn Power | Electric | 690 |
| Penn Power | Electric | 687 |
| Penelec | Electric | 682 |
| Potomac Edison | Electric | 676 |
| PSEG Long Island | Electric | 675 |
| Jersey Central Power & Light | Electric | 675 |
| Met-Ed | Electric | 674 |
| Mon Power | Electric | 667 |
| Atlantic City Electric | Electric | 665 |
| Central Maine Power | Electric | 622 |
| Appalachian Power | Electric | 615 |
| New Jersey Natural Gas | Natural Gas | 738 |
| Columbia Gas – East | Natural Gas | 732 |
| Washington Gas | Natural Gas | 732 |
| Elizabethtown Gas | Natural Gas | 731 |
| UGI Utilities | Natural Gas | 723 |
| Peoples | Natural Gas | 722 |
| National Fuel Gas | Natural Gas | 720 |
| South Jersey Gas Company | Natural Gas | 718 |
| Philadelphia Gas Works | Natural Gas | 711 |
| Midwest Region Utilities Customer Engagement Performance | ||
| Utility brand name | Service provided | ECR score |
| Black Hills Energy – Midwest | Combination | 762 |
| Wisconsin Public Service | Combination | 747 |
| Xcel Energy – Midwest | Combination | 742 |
| NIPSCO | Combination | 741 |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities | Combination | 724 |
| Consumers Energy | Combination | 723 |
| Alliant Energy | Combination | 716 |
| Ameren Illinois | Combination | 708 |
| MidAmerican Energy | Combination | 703 |
| We Energies | Combination | 696 |
| Duke Energy Midwest | Combination | 689 |
| DTE Energy | Combination | 686 |
| CenterPoint Energy – Indiana | Combination | 538 |
| ComEd | Electric | 728 |
| OPPD | Electric | 722 |
| Indiana Michigan Power | Electric | 711 |
| Ameren Missouri | Electric | 709 |
| AEP Ohio | Electric | 700 |
| Ohio Edison | Electric | 693 |
| Evergy | Electric | 691 |
| The Illuminating Company | Electric | 686 |
| AES Indiana | Electric | 681 |
| Toledo Edison | Electric | 679 |
| AES Ohio | Electric | 665 |
| CenterPoint Energy – Midwest | Natural Gas | 742 |
| Nicor Gas | Natural Gas | 729 |
| Columbia Gas of Ohio | Natural Gas | 728 |
| Atmos Energy – Midwest | Natural Gas | 726 |
| Spire Missouri – West | Natural Gas | 723 |
| Spire Missouri – East | Natural Gas | 718 |
| Citizens Energy | Natural Gas | 718 |
| Peoples Gas | Natural Gas | 714 |
| Enbridge Gas Ohio | Natural Gas | 710 |
| Kansas Gas Service | Natural Gas | 708 |
| South Region Utilities Customer Engagement Performance | ||
| Utility brand name | Service provided | ECR score |
| Dominion Energy South Carolina | Combination | 722 |
| Louisville Gas & Electric | Combination | 708 |
| CPS Energy | Combination | 687 |
| MLGW | Combination | 650 |
| OUC | Electric | 762 |
| Mississippi Power | Electric | 760 |
| TECO Tampa Electric | Electric | 748 |
| Georgia Power | Electric | 746 |
| Southwestern Electric Power Company | Electric | 737 |
| Entergy Mississippi | Electric | 737 |
| Florida Power & Light | Electric | 734 |
| Entergy Arkansas | Electric | 729 |
| Public Service Company of Oklahoma | Electric | 728 |
| Alabama Power | Electric | 722 |
| Duke Energy Progress | Electric | 721 |
| JEA | Electric | 721 |
| Dominion Energy Virginia | Electric | 710 |
| OG&E | Electric | 708 |
| Duke Energy Florida | Electric | 708 |
| Nashville Electric Service | Electric | 707 |
| Duke Energy Carolinas | Electric | 706 |
| Entergy Texas | Electric | 705 |
| Kentucky Utilities | Electric | 702 |
| Xcel Energy – South | Electric | 696 |
| Entergy Louisiana | Electric | 691 |
| El Paso Electric | Electric | 691 |
| Austin Energy | Electric | 680 |
| Entergy New Orleans | Electric | 651 |
| FPL Northwest FL | Electric | 638 |
| Kentucky Power | Electric | 627 |
| Florida City Gas Company | Natural Gas | 764 |
| TECO Peoples Gas | Natural Gas | 762 |
| Columbia Gas – South | Natural Gas | 759 |
| Chattanooga Gas Company | Natural Gas | 759 |
| Virginia Natural Gas | Natural Gas | 755 |
| Piedmont Natural Gas | Natural Gas | 752 |
| Enbridge Gas North Carolina | Natural Gas | 750 |
| Atmos Energy – South | Natural Gas | 750 |
| CenterPoint Energy – South | Natural Gas | 748 |
| Texas Gas Service | Natural Gas | 725 |
| Spire Gulf Coast | Natural Gas | 723 |
| Oklahoma Natural Gas | Natural Gas | 717 |
| Spire Alabama | Natural Gas | 715 |
| Spire Mississippi | Natural Gas | 685 |
| West Region Utilities Customer Engagement Performance | ||
| Utility brand name | Service provided | ECR score |
| Avista | Combination | 735 |
| Puget Sound Energy | Combination | 724 |
| Colorado Springs Utilities | Combination | 703 |
| NorthWestern Energy | Combination | 702 |
| Black Hills Energy – West | Combination | 700 |
| Xcel Energy Colorado | Combination | 696 |
| PG&E | Combination | 650 |
| SDG&E | Combination | 574 |
| Salt River Project | Electric | 776 |
| Seattle City Light | Electric | 730 |
| SMUD | Electric | 729 |
| Los Angeles Department of Water & Power | Electric | 728 |
| Snohomish PUD | Electric | 720 |
| PNM | Electric | 717 |
| Tucson Electric Power | Electric | 713 |
| APS | Electric | 712 |
| Rocky Mountain Power | Electric | 702 |
| Portland General Electric | Electric | 698 |
| Idaho Power | Electric | 695 |
| Southern California Edison | Electric | 693 |
| Pacific Power | Electric | 685 |
| NV Energy | Electric | 639 |
| Cascade Natural Gas | Natural Gas | 795 |
| Intermountain Gas Company | Natural Gas | 754 |
| Southwest Gas | Natural Gas | 751 |
| SoCalGas | Natural Gas | 734 |
| New Mexico Gas Company | Natural Gas | 716 |
| NW Natural | Natural Gas | 707 |
| Enbridge Gas West | Natural Gas | 692 |
Click below for more information on the full report.
About the Cogent Syndicated Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential study
Escalent conducted surveys among 59,377 residential electric, natural gas and combination utility customers of the 142 largest US utility companies (based on residential customer counts). 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 to balance the influence of each utility’s customers on survey results. Escalent will supply the exact wording of any survey question upon request.
