Business Customers Name Utilities as Their Most Trusted Provider

Local outreach and COVID-19 support have dramatically increased business customers’ trust in utilities. In fact, business customers now rank their utility as their most trusted provider overall, outranking their primary bank and all other vendors. The Cogent Brand Trust Index significantly increased this year (to 753 on a 1,000-point maximum scale) as more businesses use enhanced utility payment or rate options and recognize higher levels of utility support for their local economy. These and other findings are from the Cogent Syndicated Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Business study from Escalent, a top human behavior and analytics firm.

Utilities increased customer engagement during the pandemic, with one in five businesses changing to a different rate plan, one in seven changing how they pay their bill, and one in seven making a payment arrangement with their utility. In addition, almost two in three (61%) businesses are aware of the recent business community support efforts their utilities have made. This has reinforced business customers’ loyalty to their utility, evidenced by the loyalty rating increasing to its highest level ever in the first half of 2020.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses to temporarily shutter their operations, businesses have trusted their providers to work with them and the business community as a whole. Utilities rose to that challenge and established themselves as trusted partners,” said Chris Oberle, senior vice president at Escalent. “Utilities immediately began supporting their customers with the enhanced offerings and economic support that business customers were seeking from a quality provider. As a result, loyalty among business customers has strengthened greatly.”

Escalent congratulates the following 13 utilities for being named Cogent Syndicated’s 2020 Most Trusted Business Partners. These utilities have demonstrated the business leadership and customer focus that have made them premier companies.

Cogent Syndicated 2020 Trusted Business Partners

CenterPoint Energy – Midwest

Indiana Michigan Power

CenterPoint Energy – South

Louisville Gas & Electric

Chattanooga Gas

Nicor Gas

Con Edison

Salt River Project

Dayton Power & Light

Virginia Natural Gas

Duke Energy Midwest

Xcel Energy – West

El Paso Electric

 

The following tables reflect benchmarking of businesses’ trust levels in their electric and natural gas utilities compared with their peers. Brand Trust Index scores are based on a 1,000-point maximum scale.

2020 Business Customer Brand Trust Benchmark Scoring

East region

 

Midwest region

 

Con Edison

817

Duke Energy Midwest

796

PSE&G

773

Nicor Gas

784

BGE

770

CenterPoint Energy – Midwest

784

Eversource Energy

748

Indiana Michigan Power

779

PECO Energy

747

Dayton Power & Light

777

PSEG Long Island

743

The Illuminating Company

772

Jersey Central Power & Light

742

Ameren Illinois

772

PPL Electric Utilities

733

Wisconsin Public Service

769

National Grid

728

Consumers Energy

768

NYSEG

708

AEP Ohio

767

Appalachian Power

691

DTE Energy

765

West Penn Power

685

MidAmerican Energy

758

Penelec

677

Xcel Energy – Midwest

753

 

 

Ameren Missouri

751

 

 

OPPD

750

 

 

Indianapolis Power & Light

745

 

 

NIPSCO

741

 

 

ComEd

729

 

 

Ohio Edison

720

 

 

Alliant Energy

720

 

 

We Energies

714

 

 

Evergy

698

2020 Business Customer Brand Trust Benchmark Scoring

South region

West region

Chattanooga Gas

797

Xcel Energy – West

807

Virginia Natural Gas

792

Salt River Project

785

Louisville Gas & Electric

787

Los Angeles Department of Water & Power

779

El Paso Electric

784

NV Energy

777

CenterPoint Energy – South

777

Southern California Edison

766

Public Service Company of Oklahoma

771

Idaho Power

761

Duke Energy Florida

770

Puget Sound Energy

759

TECO Tampa Electric

770

SDG&E

753

Florida Power & Light

768

SMUD

753

Alabama Power

767

NorthWestern Energy

752

Georgia Power

767

Pacific Power

741

Entergy

761

APS

740

Dominion Energy Virginia

756

Portland General Electric

732

Gulf Power

753

Rocky Mountain Power

720

Duke Energy Carolinas

735

PNM

705

Dominion Energy South Carolina

726

PG&E

699

OG&E

724

 

 

Duke Energy – Progress

722

 

 

Southwestern Electric Power Company

719

 

 

CPS Energy

717

 

 

Kentucky Utilities

717

 

 

About Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Business

Escalent conducted surveys among 14,583 business electric, natural gas and combination utility customers of the 77 largest US utility companies (based on business customer counts). Utilities 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.

About Escalent

Escalent is a top human behavior and analytics firm specializing in industries facing disruption and business transformation. As catalysts of progress for more than 40 years, we tell stories that 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.