The exclusive findings mark the launch of the title’s New Deal for Utilities campaign, exploring the key issues facing energy and water companies today – including low levels of public trust, political uncertainty, regulatory change and the now very real threat of renationalisation.
The campaign aims to spark debate and foster collaboration among industry, policymakers, regulators and consumer groups. And its goal is to identify the key support the sector now needs to meet its burgeoning challenges, rebuild trust and strike a new bargain with the public.
Over the next eight weeks Utility Week will be asking some big and difficult questions about the sector and the help it needs from government and regulators.
The series of hard-hitting reports and comment pieces – starting today with the renationalisation survey by Harris Interactive – aims to ultimately help shape a potential social contract between utility companies and the public – a new deal for utilities.
Discovering public opinion was vital and the snap poll conducted last month asked a suite of questions around ownership of utilities, consumer satisfaction levels, value for money and whether respondents thought their utility companies could be trusted.
Key findings included:
- 32 per cent of respondents felt government was best placed to manage utilities services, with 23 per cent undecided.
- 14 per cent of those questioned thought utility companies should be owned and managed by private companies – the same number as those who thought it was a job for local government.
- 34 per cent would be more likely to vote Labour based on their policy of nationalising utilities, whilst over half said it would make no difference to their vote.
- The main benefits of nationalising utilities were perceived to be cheaper and better services.
- Over half of respondents are satisfied with their utility suppliers, with levels highest for water suppliers.
- Respondents also felt water suppliers offered best value for money and were the most trustworthy.
- Most of those polled saw rising prices as the largest contributing factor to mistrust in utilities providers.
Utility Week acting editor Suzanne Heneghan said: “Utilities play an important role in society and do much for the public good – although customer awareness about this is often low.
“Many have already made efforts to address the issues they face around legitimacy, vulnerable customers and fairness.
“However, utilities also recognise that due to their unique status the bar is rightly high and that they must do more.
“Our survey suggests the jury is currently out with the public over utility companies, trust and whether they offer value for money. Yet utilities, which face huge challenges, have a case to make.
“Finding ways to forge a new spirit of understanding, a new deal, is an important debate for 2019, and one our campaign coverage is keen to explore and progress.”
Sector reaction
Commenting on the New Deal campaign issues, Lawrence Slade chief executive of Energy UK, said: “The energy sector is experiencing a rapid transformation … and it is important that as we go through this transition we ensure the market is working for all customers, including those in the most need, and our independently chaired Commission for Customers in Vulnerable Circumstances will be reporting shortly.
“In the meantime, innovation, investment and competition have been driving benefits for customers and the sector has been actively taking steps to not just meet, but exceed, customer expectations.”
David Smith, chief executive of the Energy Networks Association (ENA) said: “The spirit of public service runs to the core of Britain’s energy networks and the people who work for them. As our energy system goes through a period of almost unprecedented transformation and the interactions between networks and the public change, we need to ensure now more than ever that people are aware of the vital role that energy networks play in their lives.”
Michael Roberts, chief executive of Water UK said: “Annual customer satisfaction surveys and our own polling on trust in water companies regularly return figures in the high 80s … It’s interesting to see the Utility Week findings chime with our own research, which shows that taking essential utilities such as water into government ownership is nowhere near as popular as some political commentators suggest.”
- Read our “The (real) state we’re in” survey and report in detail here.
- It’s time for change: find out more about the New Deal for Utilities campaign here.
- “A new year, a new deal for utilities”
- Fairness: A new era for regulation
JOIN THE DEBATE
- Follow our campaign online at www.utilityweek.co.uk, on our Twitter feed @Utility Week and on LinkedIn, #NewDealForUtilities.
- To share your thoughts or for more details contact suzanneheneghan@fav-house.comthe