Addressing the new energy customer engagement paradox

BY GREG GUTHRIDGE, NICHOLAS HANDCOCK & JULIE TARTAGLIA, Accenture

For utilities, the foundation of the energy marketplace is shifting. Providers face a market in flux with largely stagnant energy demand, shifting regulatory landscapes, accelerating adoption of disruptive technologies and, above all, shifting consumer behaviors and preferences. Against this backdrop, many providers are looking to create lasting consumer engagement in order to improve satisfaction, meet conservation mandates, and create new revenue opportunities.

However, Accenture’s latest research shows that residential consumers’ trust in their utility providers continues its downward trend to the point that only 19 percent of Canadians and 26 percent of Americans trust their utility to inform them about actions they can take to optimize their energy consumption. Similarly, in the U.S. and Canada, consumer satisfaction in their utilities has also fallen by more than five percent in the past year.