#BetterTogether - COVID-19 Customer Vulnerability Research
Led by Jemena, ActewAGL, Energy Queensland, Essential Energy, Powershop and Simply Energy.
COVID-19 continues to have a significant impact on our customers and communities. In July 2020, Jemena collaborated with Deloitte on a first round of customer research on the impacts of COVID-19 which found:
- 44% of people experienced a reduction in their household income
- 23% believed that COVID-19 would impact their household income for more than 10 months
- 27% of people were receiving JobKeeper or JobSeeker payments
- 45% of people receiving income supplements were concerned with their ability to pay their electricity bill once their JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments are cut off.
Energy Charter signatories Jemena, ActewAGL, Energy Queensland, Essential Energy and Powershop, together with Simply Energy, are collaborating with Deloitte to expand this research nationally in four quarterly rounds over 2020-2021. The insights will be leveraged to better understand customers impacted by COVID and how the energy sector can help them. We are working closely with a Customer Outcomes Group to help strategically guide the research and outcomes.
Research Reports
WAVE 1 - COVID-19 Consumer Vulnerability Research - Quarter 4, Dec 2020
Research was conducted to understand the degree of customer vulnerability, as well as customers’ consumption and sentiment towards energy in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic via survey between October 23rd to November 2nd 2020 which found:
- 20% of people have either had their working hours reduced or lost their job due to COVID-19
- 37% of people have experienced a decrease in household income
- 47% of people stated that 2020 has been a difficult year for them
37% of people indicated that over the last 3 months, energy bills were the household item where their spending had increased the most
In the next 3 months, 24% of people are intending to reduce spending on essential items, and half will take conscious behavioural changes to use energy more efficiently
For people who are currently receiving or may need energy bill support, bill discounts and energy tips communicated on a monthly basis via email was the most preferred communication model
Download the snapshot placemat and full report below.
