When energy hits home, will providers be left out in the cold?

The energy experience of today is out of step with the speed and breadth of the consumer transformation underway. EY research shows that a new approach is needed to address the full, 6-step engagement path from awareness to advocacy, resolving points of dissatisfaction and removing barriers. Providers need to deliver energy omni-experiences that are seamless, effortless and orchestrated across multiple channels, providers and energy solutions. Providers that act now can build trust and point consumers in the right direction, engaging and inspiring them on their journey and creating a more sustainable future for all of us.

Energy is becoming even more central to our lives, with the energy transition now a prominent topic of discussion around dinner tables and boardrooms, and a priority issue for governments. But consumers still struggle to understand the transition that they are part of. Our research reveals that less than one-third of consumers have a good understanding of terms such as renewable energy, sustainability, carbon neutral and net zero.

The good news is that they are eager to learn. Online searches for items such as “solar panels” and “heat pump” have increased nearly 50% worldwide in the past year, and in some markets, the increase is much higher. In the UK, for example, these searches have tripled.

More than half (59%) of consumers surveyed would like to turn to their energy providers for advice and support on sustainability, but most providers are falling short. The gap between consumers’ desire for information and providers’ ability to offer it presents an opportunity for energy companies to use education and awareness to strengthen relationships, create new revenue streams and meet sustainability goals. They can get started by:

• Leveraging data-driven consumer insights to tailor messaging and proactively engage with different groups
• Orchestrating channels and experiences to deliver the right information to the right consumer at the right time and place
• Engaging across the ecosystem to be part of consumers’ conversations with diverse organizations about energy

As consumers increasingly transform into omnisumers, so does their preferred way of interacting with providers. Understandably, digital self-serve channels are the top choice in most situations, but hybrid digital interactions that leverage digital channels to engage with a person — email, webchat and social media — are increasingly more popular, including for researching and purchasing new energy products and services. Consumers have fully embraced a new paradigm for interaction, with “technology when I want it, a person when I don’t” at the core.

Providers can enhance consumer interest in energy by both improving the most basic of interactions and taking a bolder leap into emerging technologies. Redesigning the energy bill is a great start. Only 33% of consumers find it very easy to understand and pay their energy bills, and nearly all (92%) want new digital bill capabilities, including the ability to analyze usage.

At the other end of the technology spectrum, consumers are curious about new ways to interact with providers. Nearly three-quarters (73%) say they are ready for the metaverse, particularly its potential for tangible energy experiences, including seeing how new products and services work. 

Capturing the interest of different consumers at different phases of their energy journey will require mastering a mix of channels. Providers should consider:

• Blending digital and hybrid digital channels, to deliver seamless experiences to the right consumer at the right time and place
• Enhancing digital billing to capitalize on opportunities to engage more deeply with consumers
• Exploring metaverse energy experiences that inspire and excite consumers around new products and services

Are energy consumers converting their interest and intentions around sustainability into actions? The answer is more complicated than you might think.

For many of the consumers we surveyed, their energy transition is starting at home with lifestyle changes aimed at saving energy. Eighty-two percent have purchased energy-efficient appliances, 65% wash clothing in cold water, and 65% say they turn down heating or cooling regularly.

Only 12% of consumers say they have bought an EV, but nearly half (48%) are seriously thinking about it. Sixty-two percent have bought, or are thinking about buying, solar panels and 50% are considering, or have already bought, battery storage. In our two years of surveying, adoption and interest in new energy products and services has grown across every category.

But people are paradoxes — more than a third of us think it’s okay to increase our energy use if we do our part for the environment in other ways. Nudging consumers toward those bigger actions that will make a more significant impact on reducing carbon, managing peaks in usage or lowering bills will require providers to:

• Adopt a broader view of consumers’ lives to understand their motivations for lifestyle changes and better guide actions
• Develop behavioral science capabilities to better understand how to navigate the paradoxes of consumers’ intentions and actions
• Capture momentum in high-interest areas — EVs, rooftop solar, batteries and heat pumps —to convert consumers excitement into action 

Energy providers want consumers to adopt new energy products and services — but when they do, only 28% are highly satisfied with the experience. This expectation-reality gap may put the brakes on consumer adoption of new energy products and services — and the energy transition.

Consumers want tools that will help them see the impact of new products and services on their energy bill and the environment. And they want providers to be a single trusted source for advice, help manage financial incentives and rebates, coordinate installation and home updates and be a single point of contact for support and troubleshooting.

Energy providers have opportunities to close this expectation gap. Eighty-one percent of consumers tell us they want their energy providers to offer support and advice about new energy products and services, and they still turn to providers first when purchasing new energy solutions. Companies that offer consumers what they need — and ensure a seamless, effortless delivery experience — can inspire consumers to adopt sustainable energy solutions and win their loyalty too. This will require:

• Horizontal operations that break down traditional barriers between both internal functions and partners across the ecosystem
• Integrated workflow solutions that create a transparent experience for the organization and for consumers at every stage of their product or service journey — from inquiry to installation and beyond
• Seamless omni-experiences enabled by providers partnering with other organizations to simplify the multi-provider, multi-solution and multi-channel energy world

Advocates can be a powerful group, supporting energy providers by acting as influencers, campaigners, marketers and partners. But what turns an energy consumer into an advocate? Advocacy is closely linked to consumer satisfaction — and achieving this is becoming more complicated. Affordability, reliability and safety are table stakes, and consumers also expect responsive, excellent and personalized service.

But today’s consumers also want energy providers’ values to align with their own — to be sustainable, trustworthy, committed to the local community and supportive of vulnerable customers. Only 19% of consumers are highly satisfied with the values of their energy provider, and less than half (41%) are confident their providers will create value for the community in the future. Providers that focus on demonstrating their commitment to value can convert more consumers to advocates and shift the energy dialogue. 

The path to advocacy will differ among consumers, but providers can help hasten the journey by:

• Walking the talk around sustainability and social responsibility, delivering on broader expectations for green operations, creating value for the community and supporting disadvantaged consumers
• Leading with purpose by shaping a compelling brand proposition and values that are demonstrated and communicated
• Strategically cultivating and leveraging advocates by understanding who they are and what their values are, and partnering with them in the areas they are passionate about

Consumers are leading the way when it comes to the energy transition, making lifestyle changes and investments that save energy, cutting bills and reducing their environmental footprint. For energy providers, now is the time to invest in building a customer experience that supports this.

There is no singular path forward, nor is there an opportunity to pause or delay. But energy providers can seize consumer momentum now and light the path ahead, through six no-regrets strategic imperatives. These imperatives reinvent the energy experience, build a foundation for tomorrow, and engage and inspire consumers.