E Source has just released the results of the 2019 Website Benchmark. The company revamped the study this year and collected tens of thousands of data points to determine the utility companies with the most user-friendly web experience.
Conducted every other year since 2002, this study measures the user experience of utility websites accessed from mobile devices and desktop computers. The utilities with the most usable websites in North America are KCP&L and SRP
E Source will recognize these top-performing utility companies in September during an awards lunch at the E Source Forum in Denver. Based on industry trends in user experience and utility feedback, E Source designed custom methodology for each of the study’s four usability components: findability, functionality, content, and appearance.
“The utilities with top-rated websites have robust functionality; an intuitive user experience; and an appealing, coordinated design,” explains E Source senior analyst Keenan Samuelson. “What really set the best-performing websites apart was the clear focus on customers’ priorities.”
“This year’s study gave us a more complete look than ever at the usability of utility websites,” says Heather Hilgenkamp, PhD, lead analyst for E Source market research. “We saw a clear differentiator between companies that put an emphasis on the mobile user experience, which often lags behind the experience from a desktop, and those that didn’t.”
The E Source Review of North American Electric and Gas Company Residential Websites: 2019 assessed the top 11 features (on both a mobile device and a desktop computer) of 109 US and Canadian utilities’ websites between January and June 2019. This year’s methodology shifted to focus more on quantitative rather than qualitative data. The components of usability were scored based on these criteria:
- Findability: Percentage of successful attempts to find, average pages visited to find the feature, and average time to find the feature
- Functionality: The inclusion of critical functions and functions that improve the experience
- Content: The inclusion of critical content and formatting, the reading level of the content, and the steps required to reach the content
- Appearance: Average customer rating
| Rank | Utility | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Note: Utility did not provide account access to the secure portion of its website. | © E Source (2019 Website Review) | |
| 1 | KCP&L | 597 |
| 2 | SRP | 596 |
| 3 | ComEd | 593 |
| 4 | NV Energy | 585 |
| 4 | PECO | 585 |
| 6 | PSEG Long Island | 579 |
| 7 | BGE | 578 |
| 8 | Pacific Gas and Electric Co. | 576 |
| 9 | Duquesne Light Co. | 569 |
| 10 | DTE Energy | 564 |
| 11 | Georgia Power | 563 |
| 12 | Consumers Energy | 562 |
| 13 | BC Hydro | 559 |
| 13 | AEP Ohio | 559 |
| 15 | OUC | 558 |
| 16 | Alabama Power | 557 |
| 17 | Public Service Electric & Gas Co. | 556 |
| 17 | Colorado Springs Utilities | 556 |
| 19 | WPS | 553 |
| 20 | PPL Electric Utilities | 552 |
| 21 | Duke Energy | 549 |
| 21 | Southern California Gas Co. | 549 |
| 21 | Sacramento Municipal Utility District | 549 |
| 24 | Hydro-Québec | 547 |
| 25 | Portland General Electric | 546 |
| 26 | Vectren | 542 |
| 26 | Orange and Rockland Utilities Inc. | 542 |
| 28 | TXU Energy | 540 |
| 29 | Ameren Illinois | 536 |
| 30 | Dayton Power & Light | 535 |
| 30 | National Grid | 535 |
| 32 | Southern Company Gas | 532 |
| 33 | Ameren Missouri | 529 |
| 34 | SCE&G | 528 |
| 35 | Madison Gas and Electric | 525 |
| 35 | Rocky Mountain Power | 525 |
| 37 | Con Edison | 523 |
| 38 | Avista | 519 |
| 39 | Pacific Power | 517 |
| 40 | Toronto Hydro | 514 |
| 40 | Alliant Energy | 514 |
| 40 | SaskPower | 514 |
| 43 | Mississippi Power | 506 |
| 43 | Union Gas (Enbridge Gas Inc.) | 506 |
| 45 | Hydro One | 503 |
| 46 | Tacoma Public Utilities | 497 |
| 47 | PSNC Energy* | 496 |
| 48 | PNM | 492 |
| 49 | Énergie NB Power | 489 |
| 49 | FortisBC | 489 |
| 51 | Los Angeles Department of Water and Power | 478 |
| 52 | Black Hills Energy* | 476 |
| 53 | Southwest Gas Corp.* | 475 |
| 53 | Peoples Gas | 475 |
| 55 | Tampa Electric* | 473 |
| 56 | Otter Tail Power Co. | 471 |
| 56 | Pepco* | 471 |
| 58 | PSE* | 469 |
| 59 | Appalachian Power* | 466 |
| 60 | MidAmerican Energy* | 464 |
| 60 | LG&E and KU* | 464 |
| 62 | Delmarva Power* | 463 |
| 63 | Xcel Energy* | 460 |
| 64 | Dominion Virginia Power* | 459 |
| 64 | We Energies* | 459 |
| 66 | Nashville Electric Service* | 458 |
| 66 | CPS Energy* | 458 |
| 68 | Atlantic City Electric* | 456 |
| 69 | New Mexico Gas Co.* | 454 |
| 70 | West Penn Power* | 453 |
| 71 | NIPSCO* | 452 |
| 72 | NorthWestern Energy | 449 |
| 73 | Enbridge Gas* | 447 |
| 74 | Westar Energy* | 445 |
| 75 | NW Natural* | 443 |
| 76 | Southern California Edison* | 441 |
| 76 | OG&E* | 441 |
| 78 | Kansas Gas Service* | 439 |
| 78 | Oklahoma Natural Gas* | 439 |
| 80 | Manitoba Hydro* | 437 |
| 81 | Washington Gas* | 429 |
| 82 | PGW | 428 |
| 83 | Central Maine Power* | 427 |
| 84 | Reliant* | 426 |
| 84 | SDG&E* | 426 |
| 86 | Jersey Central Power & Light * | 425 |
| 87 | Eversource* | 424 |
| 88 | Nova Scotia Power* | 415 |
| 88 | FPL* | 415 |
| 90 | Idaho Power* | 413 |
| 90 | UGI Utilities* | 413 |
| 92 | Texas Gas Service* | 412 |
| 93 | RG&E* | 411 |
| 94 | New York State Electric & Gas * | 410 |
| 95 | Atmos Energy* | 404 |
| 96 | Piedmont Natural Gas* | 402 |
| 96 | Columbia Gas of Ohio* | 402 |
| 98 | Enmax* | 401 |
| 99 | Peoples Gas* | 392 |
| 100 | Arizona Public Service* | 380 |
| 101 | Liberty Utilities | 379 |
| 102 | Spire* | 378 |
| 103 | MLGW* | 375 |
| 104 | Epcor* | 369 |
| 105 | National Fuel Gas Co.* | 352 |
| 106 | Entergy Corp.* | 350 |
| 107 | CenterPoint Energy* | 345 |
| 108 | Ambit Energy* | 341 |
| 109 | Silicon Valley Power* | 304 |
About E Source
For over 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 clients advance their customer energy solutions and enhance their relationships, while becoming more innovative and responsive in the rapidly evolving market.
Public relations contact
Sannie Sieper, Director of Marketing, E Source
Contact us
303-345-9138
