The Dirt on Digital

Consumers use digital tools for everything from ordering pizza to buying a car, all in just a few clicks.  Despite this, many utilities remain resistant to change, offering outdated websites and limited mobile apps. 

“About one-third of large utilities still do not have an app,” said Jon Sundberg, senior digital manager at J.D. Power. “This is inexcusable in the current environment in which consumers are controlling virtually every other aspect of their lives via smartphones. Utilities have been among the slowest adopters of digital customer engagement technology, based on all the industries we track at J.D. Power, and that is showing up in the form of sinking customer satisfaction scores. However, there is a silver lining for the small number of utilities that do invest in tech, which are earning notably higher scores and building much stronger levels of engagement with their customers.”

The 2022 Utility Digital Experience Study (UDES) showed that on a 1,000 point scale, overall customer satisfaction with the utility customer care channel is 843 for mobile apps, 817 for the utility website and 782 for phone based interactions.  This highlights the importance of an app on overall customer satisfaction.

The highest ranked utilities in the 2021 UDES topped the charts on digital features such as navigation, appearance, range of services, and clarity of information. While some utilities are leading the way, it has not been enough to buoy the industry as a whole. 

Utility digital experience scores have declined four points year over year, leaving them consistent with 2019 levels of customer satisfaction and putting downward pressure on the industry.  Nearly every other industry studied by J.D. Power has undergone successful digital change initiatives in the past two years, including comparable low touch digital industries such as insurance and wealth. 

J.D. Power has the expertise to help you improve customer satisfaction and become a digital leader in the utilities industry.  When combined, our data, robust analytics, and deep industry expertise help clients avoid pitfalls, seize new opportunities, and maximize profit.  Access your complimentary utilities digital experience downloadable infographic and learn more about our product offerings by clicking here.

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