E Source is pleased to announce that utilities are making progress when it comes to designing websites that meet customers’ needs. They’re also using responsive design more in 2017 than they did in 2015, according to the recently completed E Source Review of North American Electric and Gas Company Residential Websites: 2017.
Conducted biennially since 2002, this study measures how well utility websites engage residential customers and assesses website improvements as they relate to customer needs. The top utility websites in North America belong to:
- Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
- Baltimore Gas & Electric
- PPL Electric Utilities (tie)
- Salt River Project (tie)
These top websites will be recognized in September during an awards luncheon at the 30th annual E Source Forum in Denver, CO. Based on industry trends in user experience and utility feedback, this year’s study separated the user experience (also referred to as usability) into four key components: navigation, functionality, appearance, and relevance.
The utilities with top-rated websites are responding to customer needs by providing a web experience that’s simple and mobile-optimized, and offers options that are easy to read and select. “Customer expectations change over time, and top-performing utilities are adapting to meet and exceed these expectations,” says Heather Hilgenkamp, senior market research analyst at E Source. “Responsive design, presenting information in easy-to-understand formats like tables and charts, and offering personalized alerts for a wide range of topics makes the customer experience better.”
“The clear message from this year’s study is that customers want to accomplish their tasks as quickly and easily as possible,” Keenan Samuelson, E Source customer experience analyst, explains. “Clearly, websites that performed well in the study were intentionally designed with a focus on providing customers a fast, low-effort issue-resolution experience.”
Regional rankings are as follows:
- Canada: Hydro-Québec, Énergie NB Power, BC Hydro
- US, Midwest: Wisconsin Public Service, ComEd, Consumers Energy
- US, Northeast: PPL Electric Utilities, PSEG Long Island, PECO
- US, South: Baltimore Gas & Electric, Georgia Power Co., Florida Power & Light Co.
- US, West: Pacific Gas and Electric Co, Salt River Project, Southern California Edison
The E Source Review of North American Electric and Gas Company Residential Websites: 2017 assessed the websites of 114 US and Canadian utilities. Between January and May 2017, a group of residential customers accessed and used the top 10 features from both a mobile device and a laptop computer. E Source selected these informational or transactional features based on market research data and internal expertise as well as input from industry thought leaders.
For more information on this comprehensive study, please visit Website Benchmark. The complete industry report will be published in August and feature-specific Design Guides are available now for member utilities.
Performance ranking of US and Canadian residential websites, 2017
| Ranking (top quartile) | Company name | Performance score |
|---|---|---|
| Note: E Source labels the quartile with the highest-ranking utilities “top quartile,” followed in descending rank order by the second, third, and fourth quartiles. Only 113 utilities are listed in the rankings because Southern Company was assessed for its corporate website and Nicor Gas (a subsidiary). Southern Company is ranked based on Nicor Gas’s website. * indicates that the utility did not provide account access to the secure portion of its website. As part of the study methodology, the utility could not earn a rating higher than a 3 out of 5 for any of the four usability components if the feature was found, but account verification was required to fully assess the feature. | © E Source; data from the 2017 E Source Website Review | |
| 1 | Pacific Gas and Electric Co. | 883 |
| 2 | Baltimore Gas & Electric | 863 |
| 3 | PPL Electric Utilities | 843 |
| 3 | Salt River Project (SRP) | 843 |
| 5 | Georgia Power Co. | 840 |
| 6 | Wisconsin Public Service | 838 |
| 7 | PSEG Long Island | 828 |
| 8 | Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) | 823 |
| 9 | Consumers Energy | 797 |
| 10 | Florida Power & Light Co. | 795 |
| 11 | TXU Energy | 790 |
| 12 | OUC–The Reliable One | 785 |
| 13 | Appalachian Power Co.* | 784 |
| 14 | Alabama Power | 783 |
| 15 | Duke Energy | 780 |
| 15 | Southern California Edison | 780 |
| 17 | KCP&L | 778 |
| 18 | PNM | 775 |
| 18 | Portland General Electric Co.* | 775 |
| 20 | American Electric Power | 773 |
| 21 | Hydro-Québec | 768 |
| 22 | Ameren Missouri | 765 |
| 23 | Énergie NB Power | 753 |
| 23 | PECO | 753 |
| 25 | Rocky Mountain Power | 752 |
| 26 | National Grid | 750 |
| 27 | BC Hydro* | 748 |
| 28 | Pacific Power | 743 |
| Ranking (second quartile) | Company name | Performance score |
| 29 | Madison Gas and Electric | 733 |
| 30 | Ameren Illinois | 730 |
| 31 | Puget Sound Energy* | 728 |
| 32 | NV Energy | 723 |
| 32 | Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)* | 723 |
| 34 | PEPCO | 720 |
| 34 | We Energies* | 720 |
| 36 | LG&E and KU* | 716 |
| 37 | Atlantic City Electric | 713 |
| 38 | Duquesne Light Co. | 710 |
| 38 | Xcel Energy | 710 |
| 40 | Dominion (Virginia Power)* | 709 |
| 41 | Nashville Electric Service | 708 |
| 41 | Toronto Hydro | 708 |
| 41 | Vectren | 708 |
| 44 | Rochester Gas & Electric* | 705 |
| 45 | CPS Energy* | 698 |
| 45 | Central Maine Power* | 698 |
| 45 | Hydro One | 698 |
| 48 | Union Gas | 693 |
| 49 | Cleco | 686 |
| 50 | Avista | 680 |
| 50 | ENMAX | 680 |
| 50 | Public Service Electric & Gas (New Jersey) | 680 |
| 53 | South Carolina Electric & Gas* | 674 |
| 54 | Eversource Energy* | 671 |
| 55 | Westar Energy* | 668 |
| 56 | Delmarva Power | 665 |
| Ranking (third quartile) | Company name | Performance score |
| 57 | Tampa Electric (TECO)* | 653 |
| 58 | Nova Scotia Power* | 652 |
| 59 | West Penn Power Co.* | 650 |
| 60 | Southern California Gas Co.* | 648 |
| 61 | APS* | 647 |
| 62 | Columbia Gas of Ohio | 645 |
| 62 | SaskPower | 645 |
| 62 | Jersey Central Power & Light* | 645 |
| 65 | NorthWestern Energy | 638 |
| 66 | Black Hills Energy* | 635 |
| 66 | Southern Company Gas | 635 |
| 68 | Reliant* | 633 |
| 68 | NYSEG* | 633 |
| 70 | Idaho Power Co.* | 631 |
| 71 | Questar Gas* | 627 |
| 72 | MidAmerican Energy Co.* | 613 |
| 73 | Peoples Gas Light* | 612 |
| 74 | Manitoba Hydro | 608 |
| 74 | Tacoma Public Utilities | 608 |
| 76 | Consolidated Edison* | 604 |
| 77 | Piedmont Natural Gas Co. Inc.* | 599 |
| 78 | San Diego Gas & Electric | 598 |
| 79 | Southwest Gas* | 593 |
| 80 | DTE Energy* | 592 |
| 80 | Northwest Natural Gas Co.* | 592 |
| 82 | EPB of Chattanooga | 588 |
| 83 | Atmos Energy Corp.* | 583 |
| 84 | Otter Tail Power Co. | 580 |
| Ranking (fourth quartile) | Company name | Performance score |
| 85 | Entergy (Louisiana)* | 578 |
| 86 | Oklahoma Natural Gas* | 573 |
| 87 | Dayton Power & Light | 568 |
| 88 | LADWP | 565 |
| 89 | Alliant Energy | 563 |
| 90 | Ambit Energy* | 560 |
| 90 | Seattle City Light | 560 |
| 92 | PSNC Energy* | 557 |
| 93 | Washington Gas Light | 534 |
| 94 | NIPSCO | 527 |
| 95 | Kansas Gas Service* | 523 |
| 96 | Oklahoma Gas & Electric* | 519 |
| 97 | Snohomish Public Utility | 518 |
| 98 | Silicon Valley Power | 515 |
| 99 | Laclede Gas Co.* | 514 |
| 100 | New Mexico Gas Co. Inc.* | 513 |
| 101 | EPCOR* | 511 |
| 102 | Enbridge Gas Distribution | 493 |
| 102 | Pennyrile Electric | 493 |
| 104 | CenterPoint Energy* | 482 |
| 105 | FortisBC | 480 |
| 106 | UGI Utilities* | 474 |
| 107 | National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp.* | 473 |
| 108 | City of Palo Alto | 470 |
| 109 | Philadelphia Gas Works | 468 |
| 110 | Peoples Natural Gas* | 459 |
| 111 | Missouri Gas Energy* | 455 |
| 112 | Texas Gas Service* | 444 |
| 113 | Liberty | 423 |
About E Source
For 30 years, E Source has been providing market research, data, and consulting services to more than 300 utilities and their partners. This guidance helps our customers advance their efficiency programs, enhance customer relationships, and use energy more efficiently.
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