A new national research study commissioned by Doer/Maker, a creative marketing agency specializing in energy and sustainability, and Lowfoot, an intuitive data analytics company serving energy retailers and utilities, will be unveiled at the Association for Energy Service Professionals (AESP) Annual Conference February 27 - March 2, 2023, in New Orleans, LA. The research demonstrates how building trust and engagement between utilities and their customers provides exponential returns and tangible benefits to both, especially important during times of rising energy costs and tightening budgets.

Experts will be on hand at booth #315 to discuss research insights about consumer trust in their utility, the range of behavioral triggers that support conservation and savings, and how to drive improved trust and better outcomes.

“From environmental and geopolitical pressures to health concerns and questions about the future of work, consumers are dealing with mounting pressure – including rising energy costs,” said Ashley Nicholls, Doer/Maker founder and CEO. “This new research reveals utilities can benefit from building trust and engagement with customers resulting in conservation and energy savings.”

For consumers, the cost of energy is on the rise. Utilities too are facing headwinds.

The majority of customers surveyed do not trust the accuracy of their bill and stress and anxiety far outweigh other emotions in regard to feelings about utility bills.

• Almost 70% of respondents expressed negative feelings about their utility bills with emotions ranging from anger to sadness to resentment.
• 53% think of their utility bill more than once a month. Almost 40% think about it every time they turn on the lights.
• More than half – 56% – of respondents do not trust the accuracy of their bill.

The study identified a big opportunity to improve customer trust in one of the most important interactions – the bill.

• 72% say if they knew in advance the bill would be higher, they’d change their behavior. Most say they would adjust habits (turn off appliances or run HVAC less frequently) – far more than those who say they’d invest in any particular efficiency technology.
• In addition, 72% say they’d want to receive communication letting them know about their usage and how to reduce costs.
• Very few want to receive notifications daily, but 40% want updates weekly or multiple times per month. Fewer than 14% only want updates if something is wrong.

“Actionable insights to change customer behavior and realize savings (and goodwill) during this time of rising costs could come from usage alerts, budget warnings, targeted energy-saving tips, or bill previews,” said Peter Quinsey, CEO of Lowfoot.

Visit booth #315 to learn more and get the full “Costs of Energy and the Importance of Customer Trust” research study.

Research Methodology

The national survey was conducted by Doer/Maker and Lowfoot and was designed to establish insights about consumer trust in their utility/energy company and corresponding bills, explore behavioral triggers to achieve conservation and savings, and drive improved trust outcomes. The total response sample was 1000 in age groups: 18 - 24 (20.4%), 25 - 34 (25.1%), 35 - 44 (24.2%), 45 - 54 (16.3%), > 54 (14.0%). The gender breakdown was 59% female, and 41% male with a housing status of 44% rent, and 56% own.