Endeavour Energy
The brief
SEC Newgate has been working with Endeavour Energy for more than 10 years, most recently as its research and engagement partner for its five-year price and service plan for the 2024-2029 period.
Endeavour Energy manages the electricity distribution network that services over 2.7 million people living and working across Sydney’s Greater West, the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands, Illawarra and the South Coast of NSW.
The solution
SEC Newgate led a co-design process to design an engagement program with Endeavour Energy’s executive team, Board members and key stakeholders, and then provided strategic advice and support with implementation and preparation of public facing documents and presentations.
This research and engagement program encompassed 14 focus groups, a deliberative Customer Panel comprised of 89 customers to go deep into issues over four waves of online engagement, and a quantitative study to understand the preferred outcomes of residential and small business customers. In addition, workshops were held with local councils, large energy users, and industry stakeholders and there has also been ongoing liaison with Endeavour Energy’s Regulatory Reference Group, which is comprised customer representatives.
The outcome
Endeavour Energy was awarded the 2023 Energy Networks Australia and Energy Consumer Australia’s ‘Consumer Engagement’ Award for this project.
This engagement program has resulted in:
- Customer and stakeholder preferences shaping key components of Endeavour Energy’s future price and service plan, including which investments are prioritised.
- Strong positive feedback from Endeavour Energy’s customers, with 96% of Customer Panel participants saying its plans reflected customers’ priorities and preferred outcomes and 100% rating their experience on the Customer Panel as “good” or “excellent”.
- Improved levels of trust with the energy regulator and a reputation uplift in the energy industry.
- Significant organisational cultural change, with a greater customer focus amongst Endeavour Energy’s executive team, Board and staff.
1,800+
customers and stakeholders involved in the engagement program
2,770
hours of face-to-face customer and stakeholder engagement by Endeavour Energy staff over 2 years
150+
Endeavour Energy staff involved in the engagement program
SEC Newgate’s research and engagement expertise played a critical role supporting the delivery of a genuinely customer-focused Revenue Proposal 2024-2029. Over a two-year period, SEC Newgate have been Endeavour Energy’s trusted and committed partners in the design and delivery of our regulatory research and engagement, combining high level strategic advice with solid execution on the ground. We are thrilled with the result – a Revenue Proposal strongly supported by customers and stakeholders, an enhanced reputation with energy regulators and across the industry, and a significant uplift in engagement skill and capability across our business. These are great outcomes for Endeavour Energy and its customers.