Business View Magazine l January 2023

79 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 The rollout of these innovations requires more than just product development by suppliers. It also requires education and awareness on the part of customers. In this respect, the ability of suppliers to reach customers, establish a vendor relationship and discuss new product offerings is essential. Relying upon a monopoly utility with no competitive incentive to innovate will leave customers without choices left behind. PEOPLE WANT A CHOICE Americans prefer to have commercial choices to make for themselves rather than have those choices made for them. Electricity is no exception. In March 2020, RESA commissioned Ragnar Research to conduct a nationwide poll on customer choice. The poll was conducted on March 2 through 5, 2020. Telephone interviews were done with 1000 likely voters, and Ragnar polled a diverse demographic. The group surveyed varied by age, gender, ethnicity, education, political affiliation and region. Polling included both choice and non-choice states, and the study has a margin of error of ±3%. Here are some of the results: 76% of voters find it important to have a choice when purchasing goods or services and “strongly agree” consumers should be able to shop for energy supplies like other goods. 61% of voters agree that the cost of energy like electricity or natural gas should be able to change in response to competition from other energy suppliers in the market. Only 29% of voters believe the cost of energy like electricity or natural gas should be set and controlled by regulations. Finally, when voters were asked if they knew that allowing customers to choose their energy supplier would increase the number of low- cost, green energy products, 70% said they would be more likely to support increasing the number of energy suppliers in the market. This polling tells us that voters prefer to have choices in their energy supply, regardless RESA - RETAI L ENERGY SUPPLY ASSOCIAT ION