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Prepay Energy’s Pathway to Consumer Satisfaction and Benefits

EcoPinion survey results from Texas and Arizona

Prepay Energy’s Pathway to Consumer Satisfaction and Benefits

EcoPinion survey results from Texas and Arizona

Published 02-29-12

Submitted by DEFG LLC/EcoAlign

EcoAlign, a strategic marketing agency in the energy sector, released the findings today of a consumer survey testing customer awareness and acceptance of prepay electricity offerings in Texas and Arizona, the two states with the most consumers currently on prepay electricity plans.  Nine hundred consumers in those two states responded to the survey conducted in November 2011.    

“While still a nascent offering, prepay electricity shows promise for high satisfaction among the consumers that choose to use it,” stated Cindy O’Dwyer, Vice President of DEFG EcoAlign and project lead for the Prepay Energy Working Group.  “The survey results show consumers in Texas and Arizona strongly associate prepay electricity with increased control and management, which day-to-day translates to greater flexibility and the potential to use less energy and save money.  Research shows that convenience and control are leading drivers for customer satisfaction with prepay services.”   

The top line findings from EcoPinion No. 14 include: 

  • The top reasons consumers would enroll in a prepay electric service plan are: “control over energy costs and budget” (46 percent), “prefer to pay for energy as you use it” (37 percent), and “want to reduce energy use and monitor closely” (32 percent)
  • Consumers think the most important features of a prepay electric service plan are: “using less energy and saving money” (33 percent), “avoiding fees” (25 percent) and “helps manage my budget better” (24 percent)
  • When asked for one word to describe prepay electric service, “convenient” was mentioned the most by far. Other terms mentioned at lower levels were: “interesting,” “easy,” and “savings”
  • When asked for one word to describe the biggest concern regarding prepay electric service, the most frequently-mentioned were: “cost,” “price,” “overpaying,” and “expensive.”
  • When asked to rate their concerns, consumers pointed to: “service disconnect/electricity going off when my prepay account balance runs out” (53 percent), “price/higher rates” (48 percent), “fees associated with prepay” (43 percent), “expiration of credits over time” (37 percent), “knowledge/awareness of my account status” (35 percent)

EcoAlign is making the report available to the public at no charge on its website:  www.ecoalign.com

  EcoAlign is the energy and environment marketing agency and a wholly-owned affiliate of DEFG LLC.

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DEFG LLC/EcoAlign

DEFG LLC/EcoAlign

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