Four Ways Residential Utilities Can Improve Satisfaction Scores

As we near the final results publish of both the U.S. Gas and Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Studies, let’s review some of this year’s emerging trends and some strategies utilities can implement to raise their overall satisfaction scores.   

The Current State of Satisfaction  

Increasing bill amounts in 2022 began a declining trend on price satisfaction for both residential electric and gas utilities. The good news: While rising bill amounts have lowered price satisfaction over time, the effect on satisfaction is stabilizing.   

However, customers continue to report being financially challenged in 2024, with “affordability” becoming a top-of-mind concern.   

Residential Electric Utilities:  

2024 U.S. Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, Q3 results  

  Residential Gas Utilities:  

 2024 U.S. Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, Q3 results  

Other key concerns are the declines we are seeing across Customer Care and Billing and Payments factors. Both sectors are seeing declines in “ease of paying bill” across the board, with concerning declines in the digital and phone channels.  

For residential electric customers, we see declines across all Customer Care interaction points for several years in a row:  

2024 U.S. Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, Q3 results 

For residential gas customers, we see score declines across Customer Care channels as the number of customers contacting their utility about problems increases:  

2024 U.S. Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, Q3 results 

What Strategies Can Utilities Implement to Improve Overall Satisfaction?  

1. Offer eBills and digital payment options: Auto-deduct programs, mobile apps, functional websites and digital wallets are now table stakes for customers. Utilities that prioritize these channels will reap the benefits in customer satisfaction.  
2. First contact resolution: While we see customer care/customer service satisfaction scores declining, we also see the number of contacts increasing due to increased outages and lower reliability for both electric and gas utilities.  (Interestingly, this is also happening in the gas utility business sector, where we see the lowest customer contact satisfaction scores in eight years.) It is imperative that utilities resolve customer issues in a timely and efficient manner. Automation, increased investment in digital tools, and working to reduce call times can all make a positive difference.  
3. Make sure your digital channels are up to par: 1 in 4 electric customers and 1 in 3 gas customers report experiencing a problem when utilizing their utility’s digital service channels. This creates a frustrating experience that can lead to more expensive and time consuming phone interactions.   
4. Clarify your bills: Billing and Payment factors in both the electric and gas studies see declines across key areas such as clarity of information on bill. Ensure that bills are easy to read and understand.   

Key Takeaways   

Customer satisfaction is on the decline particularly in regards to Customer Care and Billing and Payments, however, there are concrete steps utilities can take to mitigate the impact of this decline on overall customer satisfaction.  Having actionable data about your specific customers and their pain points can make all the difference.  

For over 20 years, J.D. Power has been measuring and benchmarking utility customer satisfaction across a variety of factors and in a wide range of economic circumstances. To learn more about how our data empowers your utility to create outstanding customer experiences, reach out to a J.D. Power representative today >>