Industry Brand Trust Remains Flat As Top Energy Utilities Advance On Customer Focus And Reputation

(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) Escalent Recognizes 32 Gas, Electric and Combination Utilities as 2026 Most Trusted Brands

LIVONIA, Mich., July 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new Cogent Syndicated report from Escalent finds that, following nearly two years of sustained recovery and improvement, residential customers' trust in gas, electric and combination utilities plateaued in early 2026. As utilities work to counter declining monthly bill manageability perceptions worsening customer sentiment among residential customers, the industry's Brand Trust Index declined by one point year over year, reaching 696 on a 1,000-point-max scale.

Those are some of the latest findings of the 2026 Cogent Syndicated Utility Trusted Brand & Customer EngagementTM: Residential study, which tracks the performance of 155 gas, electric and combination utilities to identify brand and customer experience opportunities and trends in the industry. The report is published semiannually by Escalent, a top market research and advisory firm with extensive energy, utility and brand experience.

Although four Brand Trust components-Communications Effectiveness, Reliable Quality, Community Support and Environmental Dedication-remained stable or improved, overall Brand Trust declined due to substantial declines in the two most influential drivers: Customer Focus and Company Reputation.

“While energy utilities continue to perform well in many traditional measures of trust, customers are placing greater weight on whether companies act fairly, provide value and demonstrate a genuine commitment to their customers' interests,” said Suzanne Haggerty, director of Cogent Syndicated research with Escalent's Energy industry team.“As economic pressures persist, perceptions of ethics, fairness and customer focus are becoming increasingly important drivers of Brand Trust.”

While Brand Trust remained largely unchanged across the industry, the 32 energy utilities recognized as Escalent's 2026 Most Trusted Brands collectively achieved significant year-over-year improvement.

These higher-scoring utilities set themselves apart through stronger perceptions of fairness, ethics, customer advocacy and reputation. Winners collectively achieved meaningful gains by strengthening the customer relationship in ways that extend beyond day-to-day service delivery. Among the most important findings:

• The largest advantages are tied to trust and customer advocacy: Compared with the industry average, the winners scored substantially higher on attributes such as being trusted to do the right thing for customers, acting ethically, considering customer concerns in business decisions, and generating positive word of mouth.
• Perceptions of value remain a major differentiator:“Offers reasonable rates for the service provided” represents one of the largest scoring gaps between winners and the industry, underscoring the importance of demonstrating value in an environment of continued customer sensitivity to costs.
• Company Reputation is reinforced by external perceptions: The winners outperform the industry on measures tied to positive comments from others and overall reputation, suggesting that trust is increasingly shaped by the broader narratives customers encounter beyond their direct interactions with the utility.
• Customer Focus is where the winners gained the most ground: The strongest improvements among winning energy utilities were concentrated in perceptions that energy utilities understand customer needs, consider customer concerns, and make decisions with customers' interests in mind.
• Operational competence is necessary but not sufficient: While the winners also outperform the industry on traditional service measures, their greatest advantages come from relationship-oriented perceptions rather than transactional experiences alone.
  

“The energy utilities that earned Escalent's 2026 Most Trusted Brand recognition distinguish themselves not just through strong operational performance, but through stronger customer relationships,” said Haggerty.“Customers are more likely to view these companies as fair, trustworthy and attentive to their concerns, demonstrating that trust is built through both what utilities do and how customers perceive their intentions.”

Energy utility communication remains one of the most direct levers for strengthening Brand Trust. Following a rebound from a mid-2024 low, the industry's Communications Intensity Index-an indicator of communication investment-held steady from mid-2025 to mid-2026. Although Escalent's 2026 Most Trusted Brands exhibited a similar year-over-year pattern, the group consistently outperformed the industry on Communications Intensity, highlighting the role of sustained customer communication in building trust.

“Customers are increasingly influenced by the stories and perceptions they encounter beyond their direct interactions with a utility,” Haggerty added.“High-trust utilities recognize that communication plays an important role in shaping those perceptions. Rather than communicating only when necessary, they maintain consistent outreach that helps build credibility and strengthen trust over the long term.”

Escalent is pleased to name these 32 energy utilities as our 2026 Most Trusted Brands.

Cogent Syndicated 2026 Most Trusted Utility Brands*
Atmos Energy – Midwest	MidAmerican Energy
Atmos Energy – South	Mississippi Power
Avista	Montana-Dakota Utilities
Cascade Natural Gas	National Grid
CenterPoint Energy – Midwest	NW Natural
Chattanooga Gas Company	OPPD
Columbia Gas – East	OUC
Columbia Gas – South	PECO
Con Edison	Peoples Gas
Florida City Gas Company	Pepco
Florida Public Utilities	PSE&G
Green Mountain Power	Salt River Project
Idaho Power	Seattle City Light
Indiana Michigan Power	SMUD
Intermountain Gas Company	TECO Peoples Gas
Louisville Gas & Electric	Washington Gas

*Utilities named as Most Trusted Brands are selected based on having Brand Trust Index scores in the top decile of the industry, the top score within their respective benchmark segment, or a Brand Trust Index score within 20 points of the top benchmark segment score and above the industry average.

The following tables reflect regional peer benchmark Brand Trust scores among the 155 utilities surveyed. These scores reflect the amount of trust customers have with each utility.

East Region Utilities Brand Trust Performance
Utility brand name	Service provided	Brand Trust score
PSE&G	Combination	718
Con Edison	Combination	713
PECO	Combination	710
National Grid	Combination	701
Delmarva Power	Combination	688
Eversource	Combination	664
BGE	Combination	656
NYSEG	Combination	571
RG&E	Combination	565
Pepco	Electric	723
Green Mountain Power	Electric	713
Duquesne Light Company	Electric	701
Penelec	Electric	696
Penn Power	Electric	678
PPL Electric Utilities	Electric	678
PSEG Long Island	Electric	677
West Penn Power	Electric	670
Met-Ed	Electric	659
Potomac Edison	Electric	644
Atlantic City Electric	Electric	643
Jersey Central Power & Light	Electric	628
Mon Power	Electric	623
Central Maine Power	Electric	605
Appalachian Power	Electric	598
Washington Gas	Natural Gas	760
Columbia Gas – East	Natural Gas	740
Peoples	Natural Gas	738
National Fuel Gas	Natural Gas	736
UGI Utilities	Natural Gas	730
Chesapeake Maryland	Natural Gas	729
Philadelphia Gas Works	Natural Gas	726
Elizabethtown Gas	Natural Gas	720
Chesapeake Delaware	Natural Gas	720
Mountaineer Gas	Natural Gas	712
South Jersey Gas Company	Natural Gas	707
New Jersey Natural Gas	Natural Gas	678

Midwest Region Utilities Brand Trust Performance
Utility brand name	Service provided	Brand Trust score
Montana-Dakota Utilities	Combination	751
MidAmerican Energy	Combination	747
Duke Energy Midwest	Combination	723
Consumers Energy	Combination	715
Black Hills Energy – Midwest	Combination	715
Wisconsin Public Service	Combination	709
Ameren Illinois	Combination	699
We Energies	Combination	695
Alliant Energy	Combination	677
Xcel Energy – Midwest	Combination	677
DTE Energy	Combination	643
NIPSCO	Combination	639
CenterPoint Energy – Indiana	Combination	455
OPPD	Electric	735
Indiana Michigan Power	Electric	722
Ameren Missouri	Electric	679
Ohio Edison	Electric	674
Evergy	Electric	674
ComEd	Electric	667
AEP Ohio	Electric	666
Toledo Edison	Electric	664
AES Indiana	Electric	661
The Illuminating Company	Electric	645
AES Ohio	Electric	622
Atmos Energy – Midwest	Natural Gas	741
Peoples Gas	Natural Gas	729
CenterPoint Energy – Midwest	Natural Gas	727
Michigan Gas	Natural Gas	720
Spire Missouri – East	Natural Gas	718
Columbia Gas of Ohio	Natural Gas	710
North Shore Gas	Natural Gas	710
Minnesota Energy Resources	Natural Gas	708
Spire Missouri – West	Natural Gas	705
Kansas Gas Service	Natural Gas	704
Nicor Gas	Natural Gas	696
Citizens Energy	Natural Gas	684
Enbridge Gas Ohio	Natural Gas	682

South Region Utilities Brand Trust Performance
Utility brand name	Service provided	Brand Trust score
Florida Public Utilities	Combination	731
Louisville Gas & Electric	Combination	715
Dominion Energy South Carolina	Combination	703
CPS Energy	Combination	703
MLGW	Combination	638
OUC	Electric	771
Mississippi Power	Electric	762
Georgia Power	Electric	746
Entergy Mississippi	Electric	742
Entergy Louisiana	Electric	735
Kentucky Utilities	Electric	731
Florida Power & Light	Electric	728
Entergy Arkansas	Electric	712
Nashville Electric Service	Electric	711
JEA	Electric	710
Alabama Power	Electric	709
Xcel Energy – South	Electric	707
TECO Tampa Electric	Electric	706
Public Service Company of Oklahoma	Electric	701
Southwestern Electric Power Company	Electric	699
OG&E	Electric	690
Dominion Energy Virginia	Electric	688
Duke Energy Florida	Electric	684
Duke Energy Carolinas	Electric	679
Duke Energy Progress	Electric	674
Entergy Texas	Electric	670
Austin Energy	Electric	668
Entergy New Orleans	Electric	663
El Paso Electric	Electric	655
Kentucky Power	Electric	603
TECO Peoples Gas	Natural Gas	777
Chattanooga Gas Company	Natural Gas	774
Florida City Gas Company	Natural Gas	770
Atmos Energy – South	Natural Gas	766
Columbia Gas – South	Natural Gas	747
Virginia Natural Gas	Natural Gas	740
Texas Gas Service	Natural Gas	732
Oklahoma Natural Gas	Natural Gas	732
Piedmont Natural Gas	Natural Gas	729
Spire Alabama	Natural Gas	727
CenterPoint Energy – South	Natural Gas	720
Delta Utilities	Natural Gas	715
Enbridge Gas North Carolina	Natural Gas	708

West Region Utilities Brand Trust Performance
Utility brand name	Service provided	Brand Trust score
Avista	Combination	739
Puget Sound Energy	Combination	704
NorthWestern Energy	Combination	704
Black Hills Energy – West	Combination	704
Xcel Energy Colorado	Combination	687
Colorado Springs Utilities	Combination	671
PG&E	Combination	610
SDG&E	Combination	529
Seattle City Light	Electric	748
Idaho Power	Electric	745
SMUD	Electric	737
Salt River Project	Electric	736
LADWP	Electric	718
Rocky Mountain Power	Electric	713
PNM	Electric	705
Snohomish County PUD	Electric	705
APS	Electric	688
Portland General Electric	Electric	682
Pacific Power	Electric	675
Tucson Electric Power	Electric	667
Southern California Edison	Electric	663
NV Energy	Electric	663
Intermountain Gas Company	Natural Gas	799
Cascade Natural Gas	Natural Gas	763
NW Natural	Natural Gas	754
SoCalGas	Natural Gas	738
Southwest Gas	Natural Gas	736
New Mexico Gas Company	Natural Gas	710
Enbridge Gas West	Natural Gas	706

About the Cogent Syndicated Utility Trusted Brand & Customer EngagementTM: Residential study

Escalent conducted surveys among 62,233 residential electric, natural gas and combination utility customers of the 155 largest US utility companies (based on residential customer counts). The sample design uses a combination of quotas and weighting based on US census data to ensure a demographically balanced sample of each evaluated utility's customers based on age, gender, income, race and ethnicity. Utilities within the same region and of the same type (e.g., electric-only providers) are given equal weight to balance the influence of each utility's customers on survey results. The Brand Trust index score is a composite based upon consumer ratings across six factors. Escalent will supply the exact wording of any survey question upon request.

For more information on the full report, click here.

About Escalent

Escalent is an AI-enabled market research and advisory partner with unmatched industry expertise. For 50 years, we have been catalysts of progress-turning a deep understanding of our clients' worlds into smarter strategies and transforming human and market insight into decisive action that helps brands outthink disruption and accelerate growth. Following the acquisition of C Space and Hall & Partners in 2023, our 1,600-strong global team now offers a true one-stop shop for industry intelligence, customer insight and brand strategy. Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan, Escalent operates across the US and in Australia, Canada, China, India, Ireland, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, the UAE and the UK. Visit escalent to see how we are helping shape the brands that are reshaping the world.

Contact	Stephanie Salvadero, 734.838.5192
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