Is anyone listening to what energy customers want?
03 April 2014
Green Energy says listen to what customers want rather than the politicians
ComRes Survey reveals that the Big Six are trusted but customers say they want more from energy companies – they are too focused on profits, unclear about their finances, and they're not listening to customers
Green Energy says listen to what customers want rather than the politicians
Amidst all of the brouhaha about the Big Six energy companies over recent months, Green Energy UK has been finding out what customers actually want from their energy supplier. Green Energy UK, an independent electricity supplier, commissioned the market research company ComRes to undertake a survey of customers across the UK. The survey reveals surprisingly given the current rhetoric, that although the Big Six are trusted, customers want the country’s energy suppliers to work harder by improving customer service, being more responsible and being more transparent in the way they manage their business.
Doug Stewart, CEO of Green Energy UK said: "The ComRes survey threw up some interesting and indeed seemingly contradictory findings. This is the challenge that we face. The research points to consumers trusting the Big Six, as generally happens with the big brands in most markets. However, the research also shows that it's not just trust that's important for customers: they rightly want a lot more from their energy supplier.
"As an energy supplier we can’t be complacent. We need to listen more to what consumers want and not just concentrate on the latest headline or what the politicians are saying. Customers deserve good customer service, competitive prices and greater responsibility from their energy company. They also want independent non-corporate suppliers."
Commenting on the politics of energy, Doug Stewart said: "I am increasingly concerned that the short-term political posturing by both parties will undermine the growth of our business and the efforts to boost wider competition within the UK energy market. Neither a freeze in energy prices nor an inquiry into the Big Six by the Competition & Markets Authority will do anything to help independent suppliers such as Green Energy nor crucially the UK consumer, the very people that Ed Davey and co want to help. Energy has simply become the current football politicians think they can kick to get your vote. Energy is way too important for that."
The key findings of the ComRes "Consumer Voice Survey" (surveying 1,732 energy bill-payers in Great Britain) were:
- 50% of consumers trust the Big Six energy companies the most of all energy suppliers.
- Competitive pricing ranked highly on the consumer wish list (94%) but a focus on providing good customer service is just as important (91%).
- 92% want their energy firm to provide clear and easy to understand information, with 91% wanting their supplier to listen to what customers have to say.
- 72% of consumers are looking for energy companies that display an ethical attitude.
- Over half (53%) of consumers surveyed say that they want a non-corporate brand and a third (32%) think it’s important that their supplier is independent of the Big Six.
- Energy companies are seen as too focused on profits (82% say that this is one of the top three problems with energy companies), and are not transparent enough about their actions or finances (55%).
Doug Stewart added: "We have incredibly loyal customers and we have won awards for our customer service but we know we can't take our customers or their loyalty for granted; we put our customers at the heart of our business giving away free shares and will continue to do so; this means we not only listen but they have a say; we know they have a choice of supplier and can always switch away – that makes us work harder".
