U.S. Businesses Remain Loyal To Energy Providers, Survey Says

ByDeborah Austin U.S. companies that have stayed with their current energy suppliers are more satisfied than those who switched to get lower prices, says a national survey by RKS Research & Consulting. Those who stuck with providers give them higher marks on all major performance aspects -- including cost savings, customer service, billing, and usage information. But those who switched to save money expressed the lowest satisfaction level on all performance levels besides costs -- and said even those savings fell short of expectations. One in five U.S. businesses now can choose their electric supplier, says the survey. Of those, about 71% have chosen to stay with their present provider. Among key accounts -- larger firms with multiple sites and monthly electric bills of more than $2 million -- one in four have such a choice, and only 56% of those have kept their current provider. Headquartered in North Salem, N.Y., RKS Research does market research and public opinion polling for energy and natural resource organizations.