Consumer sentiment toward energy companies has rebounded since the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and consumers are feeling better not just about how energy companies are contributing to the economic well-being of the country, but also how they are protecting the environment.
Consumers believe that energy companies are more credible than in recent years on environmental issues, according to results of the latest Market Strategies International E2 (Energy + Environment) Study. Conducted twice each year, the national survey captures Americans¡¯ attitudes and opinions about issues where energy and the environment intersect.
¡°As of December 2012, the E2 Index stands at the highest level we¡¯ve seen. We¡¯ve been tracking the Index since 2008 and, while it has had ups and downs, it trended upward most of the time until it took a huge hit during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico,¡± said Jack Lloyd, senior vice president, Energy Division.
¡°Some of the factors that may be behind the public feeling more positively about the energy industry include a decrease in US greenhouse gas emissions, new ¡±smart¡± electricity distribution technologies, the increase in domestic natural gas and oil production, and energy companies¡¯ own public relations efforts,¡± said Jason Stephenson, research director, Energy Division.
Market Strategies¡¯ research also suggests that the improving consumer sentiment toward energy companies may be the result of better communication between energy utilities and their customers. The Market Strategies International Energy Engagement Index, which measures the relationship between consumer sentiment and the breadth and effectiveness of energy utility interactions and communications with customers, continues to find that consumers who are actively engaged, educated and informed on energy issues have a much more positive view of their energy utility and of the industry as a whole.
Lloyd and Stephenson will host a webinar on the latest E2 (Energy + Environment) National Survey results from 1:30¨C2:30 EDT on Thursday, April 11. Register here.
