Conducted every other year since 2002, the E Source 2021 Website Benchmark measures the user experience of utility websites accessed from mobile devices and desktop computers. The utilities with the most usable and accessible websites in the US and Canada are PPL Electric Utilities and Exelon Utilities (based on ComEd’s website).
E Source will recognize these top-performing utility companies on September 30 at the E Source Forum 2021. 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.
- 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
“Utilities are prioritizing responsive website design more than ever before. In 2021, 91% of websites tested were responsive, meaning the design of the website changes to best fit the screen size the customer is using,” explains E Source analyst Cory Coggins. “In 2019, the number of responsive websites in our study was 73%. As more customers are using mobile devices, utilities have evolved to offer a better mobile customer experience on their websites.”
“Accessibility has become a focus for utilities to help customers with disabilities and limitations easily use their website,” says Heather Hilgenkamp, PhD, manager for E Source market research. “In 2019, 5.2% of the utility web pages we tested met the highest standard for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2021, 8.9% of the utility web pages tested met the standard. While this is still a small number, we’re heartened to see more utilities making accessibility a priority in their website design.”
The 2021 study assessed the top 10 features (on both a mobile device and a desktop computer) of 85 US and Canadian utilities’ websites between January and May 2021.
| Rank | Utility | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Notes:* We didn’t have account access to the secure portion of this website. In 2021, we assessed one utility on behalf of the parent company, unless a utility opted in to have more than one operating company reviewed. © E Source (2021 Website Benchmark) | ||
| 1 | PPL Electric Utilities | 653 |
| 2 | Exelon Utilities (based on ComEd’s website) | 649 |
| 3 | Alliant Energy | 646 |
| 4 | Xcel Energy | 642 |
| 5 | Consumers Energy | 641 |
| 5 | WPS (on behalf of WEC Energy Group) | 641 |
| 7 | SRP | 639 |
| 8 | Sacramento Municipal Utility District | 637 |
| 9 | Columbia Gas of Ohio | 632 |
| 9 | PSE&G | 632 |
| 11 | PSEG Long Island | 631 |
| 12 | NIPSCO | 628 |
| 13 | Duke Energy | 625 |
| 13 | Avista Utilities | 625 |
| 13 | Ameren Illinois (on behalf of Ameren Corp.) | 625 |
| 16 | SoCalGas | 624 |
| 17 | AEP Ohio (on behalf of AEP) | 623 |
| 18 | Evergy | 621 |
| 19 | Colorado Springs Utilities | 617 |
| 20 | Eversource | 614 |
| 21 | OUC | 611 |
| 22 | Georgia Power | 610 |
| 23 | MidAmerican Energy | 609 |
| 24 | Pacific Gas and Electric Co. | 608 |
| 25 | SDG&E | 605 |
| 25 | DTE Energy* | 605 |
| 27 | Southern California Edison | 602 |
| 28 | Énergie NB Power | 597 |
| 29 | AES Ohio (formerly Dayton Power & Light) | 596 |
| 29 | Duquesne Light Co. | 596 |
| 31 | Puget Sound Energy* | 595 |
| 32 | Tampa Electric* | 594 |
| 33 | Southern Company Gas | 593 |
| 34 | Alabama Power | 591 |
| 35 | Arizona Public Service* | 587 |
| 36 | Con Edison* (on behalf of Consolidated Edison) | 586 |
| 37 | Hydro One | 584 |
| 37 | SaskPower | 584 |
| 39 | Tacoma Public Utilities | 577 |
| 40 | Madison Gas and Electric | 574 |
| 41 | FPL | 573 |
| 42 | New Mexico Gas Co.* | 572 |
| 42 | Otter Tail Power Co. | 572 |
| 44 | Hydro-Québec | 571 |
| 45 | Portland General Electric* | 569 |
| 45 | Central Hudson Gas & Electric* | 569 |
| 47 | Dominion Energy South Carolina | 568 |
| 47 | Pacific Power (on behalf of PacifiCorp) | 568 |
| 49 | LG&E and KU* | 565 |
| 50 | We Energies* | 564 |
| 51 | CPS Energy* | 561 |
| 52 | NV Energy* | 557 |
| 52 | Southwest Gas Corp.* | 557 |
| 54 | CenterPoint Energy | 550 |
| 55 | Washington Gas | 546 |
| 56 | Central Maine Power* (on behalf of AVANGRID) | 545 |
| 56 | Peoples Natural Gas | 545 |
| 58 | Piedmont Natural Gas | 542 |
| 59 | National Grid* | 539 |
| 60 | Manitoba Hydro* | 535 |
| 61 | Black Hills Energy | 533 |
| 62 | PNM | 532 |
| 63 | Nova Scotia Power* | 531 |
| 64 | BC Hydro* | 526 |
| 64 | Kansas Gas Service* (on behalf of ONE Gas) | 526 |
| 66 | West Penn Power* (on behalf of First Energy) | 525 |
| 67 | FortisBC* | 522 |
| 67 | Silicon Valley Power* | 522 |
| 69 | OG&E* | 518 |
| 70 | PGW* | 516 |
| 71 | Dominion Energy Utah | 512 |
| 72 | NorthWestern Energy | 509 |
| 73 | NW Natural* | 508 |
| 74 | Idaho Power* | 507 |
| 75 | Entergy Corp.* | 504 |
| 76 | Enbridge Gas* | 501 |
| 77 | UGI Utilities* | 499 |
| 78 | Toronto Hydro* | 488 |
| 78 | ENMAX* | 488 |
| 80 | Austin Energy* | 482 |
| 81 | TXU Energy* | 476 |
| 82 | Spire Inc.* | 475 |
| 83 | EPCOR* | 470 |
| 83 | Los Angeles Department of Water and Power* | 470 |
| 85 | Liberty | 444 |
About E Source
E Source is a leading partner to more than 500 electric, gas, and water utilities and municipalities, and their partners, across the US and Canada. We provide data science, market research, benchmarking, and consulting services. Our 35 years of technology validation, market assessment, program design, and customer experience expertise help clients make informed, data-driven decisions; plan for tomorrow’s infrastructure needs; strengthen customer relationships; and meet critical business objectives while becoming more innovative and responsive in the rapidly evolving market.