Industry overview
What is shaping electric power
Power utilities serve millions of households and businesses, and are judged on reliability, billing accuracy and how well they communicate during outages. Smart meters are changing the relationship.
- Smart meters are changing billing and payment behaviour
- Outage communication strongly affects satisfaction
- Digital payments are replacing counter payments
Client background
An electricity regulator’s consumer advocacy unit, working in South Africa. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- An electricity regulator’s consumer advocacy unit
- Sector
- Electric power
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Government research, Quantitative research, Qualitative research
Client challenge
Frequent power cuts had increased interest in rooftop solar, but uptake remained concentrated among wealthier households. The unit wanted to understand barriers for middle-income households. Households also struggled to compare quotes and understand how much they would actually save.
Research objectives
- Answer the core question: why households hesitate to install rooftop solar.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of households.
- Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 8 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 2,000 households.
- households2,000
Audiences we typically reach in electric power
Residential consumersCommercial and industrial consumersSmart-meter usersField and call-centre staffRegulators
Geographic coverage
Coverage: South Africa. Market: South Africa.
- South Africa
Research methodology
A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.
- 1Brief
- 2Household survey
- 3Installer interviews
- 4Insight
We surveyed households about electricity spending, outage experiences, awareness of solar options, financing and trust in installers, and interviewed installers about customer concerns and approval processes. Interviews were conducted in English, isiZulu, isiXhosa and Afrikaans, with quotas by income band and housing type.
Government researchQuantitative researchQualitative research
Sampling strategy
- households
- 2,000
- Respondents were selected across South Africa using quotas set in advance for each location and respondent type, so no single area or group dominated.
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- installer interviews
- 30
- Trained local-language interviewers conducted interviews in person, supervised in the field.
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Back-checks on a share of completed interviews
- Time and location checks on field interviews
- Supervisor accompaniment in the field
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Upfront cost, uncertainty about connection rules and fear of poor-quality installers were the main barriers.
Trust in installers was as important as financing.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: trust in installers was as important as financing.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: upfront cost, uncertainty about connection rules and fear of poor-quality installers were the main barriers.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The unit recommended clearer connection guidelines, an installer accreditation list and financing partnerships.
- Several municipalities used the findings to simplify their approval processes.
- The unit also published a simple consumer guide to rooftop solar.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Interview summaries and key verbatims
- Evaluation findings with programme recommendations
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how satisfied are consumers with supply and billing?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.