Why we do research
At AusNet our customers are at the heart of everything we do. Our aim is to make our services simpler and easier for our customers. We undertake extensive customer research to help us understand our customers’ needs, experiences, perceptions and behaviours regarding energy use and interactions with our services. This information allows us to improve our customers’ experience based on informed, data-driven decisions.
We also participate in a number of trials and research projects with other partners. By understanding household electricity and gas practices and patterns, we can accelerate and shape the transition to a net-zero emissions energy future.
What does this mean for you?
To conduct customer research, we need to contact or talk to our customers to get your thoughts on important issues. We do this through SMS, email or phone.
Participation in all our research projects is voluntary.
Your gas or electricity retailer (the company you pay your bills to) will share your contact details with us so we can communicate with you about your energy supply, including outages and get your feedback on our performance. We’re legally obligated to treat your personal information in accordance with relevant Australian Federal Law including the Privacy Act 1988. For more information about the type of customer information we collect and how we handle it, see Privacy.
What you need to do
If you get an email, SMS or phone call inviting you to participate in one of our surveys or research projects, please check if the project belongs to the list of our current research projects below. If you’re unsure about the legitimacy of the invitation, please contact us by:
- email: research@ausnetservices.com.au, or
- phone (during business hours): 1300 360 795
Our current research initiatives
The table below shows the list of our current research projects and how we’re reaching out to customers. We update this table regularly.
| Research Project | Overview | How we’re contacting customers |
|---|---|---|
| Storm-Related Resilience Research |
We're contacting customers over summer to gain insights into the consequences of storm-related outages. Analysing this data will help us understand the impact of these incidents on our customers. It’s also essential for our strategic planning, informing how we can proactively address challenges, and minimise disruptions during weather-related events that impact our network. |
Between December 2023 and January 2024, AusNet will reach out to customers by email or SMS with a survey link, inviting them to participate in our storm-related resilience study. |
| Quantifying Customer Value |
This is a one-off research project we are conducting from September 2023 to February 2024. In collaboration with Lewers Research, this project will give us insights into:
|
Lewers Research will conduct this research on our behalf. Here's how it will happen:
Stage 1: In September 2023, Lewers Research will contact randomly selected customers. They will ask if the customers are willing to take part and will schedule interviews accordingly. Stage 2: Between November and December 2023, randomly selected customers will receive an email with a link. This link will invite them to join our online survey. |
| Customer Workshops for the Electricity Distribution Price Review 2026-2031 | We’re conducting customer workshops for the Electricity Distribution Price Review 2026-2031, to better understand our customer's electricity needs and preferences. There will be a series of 4 to 5 workshops from August 2023 to August 2024. Focus People, a market research agency, will conduct the workshops and recruit on our behalf. For more information, please email engagement@ausnetservices.com.au |
Focus People will recruit and conduct this research on our behalf. Our Stakeholder Reference Groups will also promote the workshops in their networks. |
| Customer Satisfaction (C-SAT) Monitoring Program | These monthly surveys aim to collect feedback from customers who have experienced power outages, scheduled maintenance, new connections or contacted us for general enquiries or complaints. CSBA, an Australian research agency, conducts the research on our behalf. The results help us monitor trends in customer experience so we can improve our services. |
CSBA may contact you on our behalf by phone, SMS or email. |
| Summer and Winter Readiness Campaign Evaluation | This is an on-going research project, conducted before and after winter and summer. It helps us measure the effectiveness of our winter and summer communication campaigns, which promote important information about preparing for outages, and energy safety and efficiency messages. | Randomly selected customers will get an invitation by email or SMS. |
| Consumer Energy Resources (CER) Journey Mapping |
This project aims to capture feedback from a small group of CER customers, solar technicians and retailers, who had undergone the solar connection process with AusNet. The main objectives are to identify the key factors that impact the successful completion of CER installations and to explore opportunities to improve this process. |
Selected CER customers, retailers and technicians will be contacted by email or SMS. |
| Other Research Projects | We’re also conducting research initiatives using other platforms, such as consumer panels and social media. These projects don’t require us to contact our customers directly. More information on our other research projects. |