Your cooperative mailed to all members a survey in the February bill. The survey was also available online from the ceci.coop website and on social media. We are pleased to present the findings of the member satisfaction survey, conducted to gauge the sentiments and preferences of our valued members. The survey encompassed various aspects of our cooperative’s services, as well as the receptiveness of members to potential new programs.

Part 1: Rating Statements

The front of the survey was a series of seven statements that our members were asked to rate their agreement with a “1” being strongly disagree, a “3” being neither agree or disagree, and a “5” being strongly agree.

Satisfaction with Cooperative: Members overwhelmingly expressed satisfaction with our cooperative, with an average rating of 4.63 out of 5.

Information Dissemination: The majority of respondents indicated satisfaction with how they receive information from the cooperative, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5. CECI routinely communicates through digital and traditional channels, with Facebook being the primary social media platform and Illinois Country Living Magazine being the big print platform. Members are also sent mailers and bill stuffers when necessary, and a new Mass Notification System has been adopted to send email and text messages if needed.

Reliability of Distribution System: Members rated the reliability of our distribution system highly, with an average rating of 4.58 out of 5. In the past five years, CECI has hired a dedicated forestry crew to handle line clearance and tree tickets. This frees up our linemen to focus on line maintenance, pole inspections and other needed tasks to keep the grid stable. We have seen a marked decrease in blinks and outages over the last five years. 

Value for Service: The majority of respondents found the service they receive worth the cost, with an average rating of 4.37 out of 5.

Friendly Staff Interactions: Members overwhelmingly reported positive interactions with our staff, with an average rating of 4.76 out of 5. We are very proud that our highest rating for the entire survey is for the friendliness and helpfulness of our staff. The office takes great pride in providing efficient, friendly service to our members every day.

Timely Resolution of Problems: The majority of respondents indicated that problems with service are generally resolved quickly, with an average rating of 4.66 out of 5. The greater reliability of the system and more hands available has greatly improved our response times. We are grateful for the patience and understanding of the membership when issues do arise and make every effort to resolve issues as quickly as possible.

Likelihood to Recommend: Members expressed a high likelihood of recommending our cooperative to friends and family, with an average rating of 4.62 out of 5.

Part 2: Additional Insights

Electric Vehicle Ownership: Only one out of 256 members reported owning an electric vehicle, indicating a low adoption rate within our membership base.

Interest in Smart Home Thermostat: When asked about interest in a Smart Home Thermostat with incentivized use, 72.6% of respondents indicated they were not interested. While CECI does not have a Smart Home Thermostat program in place, they are becoming more common at other cooperatives, municipalities and other utilities. We will continue to look into programs that have found success in other areas and see if they may be a fit for our membership.

Response to Time of Use Rates: Over half of the respondents (53.2%) expressed willingness to change their electrical usage habits to take advantage of Time of Use (TOU) rates, suggesting a moderate level of receptiveness to this pricing structure. A TOU rate is a rate where the price of kilowatts varies over the course of the day, becoming cheaper at off-peak times and more expensive during peak hours. Like the old long-distance rates, a TOU rate would incentivize the use of power to times that are less stressful to the grid. CECI does not currently have TOUs available, but as we look to ways to save the cooperative money and pass those savings onto the membership, new rate structures are an option we are researching.

Conclusion

Overall, the results of the member satisfaction survey reflect a high level of satisfaction with our cooperative’s services and operations. It also gives us insight into what new technology our membership has adopted and would consider adopting in the future. The more CECI knows about what you want, the more it can work towards an energy future that has all the amenities our membership expects at a price the membership can afford.