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As a follow up to this report, staff engaged QMR on the results and received the following <br />context based on the eight municipal utilities they provide services for. <br />Concern over rates is standard across the other utilities' results. Staff at QMR believe <br />that the population broadly is experiencing financial pressure due to inflation, so any <br />opportunity to comment on living expenses brings many other factors to the surface. As <br />a reminder, ERMU had 0% electric and 2% water rate increases for 2024. <br />o ERMU Actions: Staff has reviewed rates coMpainisoin frori: otlheir <br />u„u.. ,i Il tie ,, and looks to publish ERMU's own flyer based on annual data from the <br />Competitive Rates Policy. <br />A low level of awareness about rebates is also standard. QMR recently worked with a <br />large public utility to rewrite its survey questions to get to the bottom of this issue. <br />o ERMU Actions: Over the last year staff has implemented new outreach initiatives <br />including billboards, newspaper ads, as well as adapting the newsletter sidebar <br />and website homepage to highlight rebates. It is important to note there was a <br />delay in rebate communications this year as our programs and flyers underwent <br />a major overhaul in partnering with Frontier Energy. Future efforts will include <br />partnering with appliance retailers to display ERMU's program information. <br />Customers tend to conflate the services that ERMU bills for with the services it provides. <br />Many respondents expressed frustration with garbage service though the survey <br />identifies ERMU as an electric and water provider. The open-ended questions leave <br />room for those sentiments to make it into the results. <br />o ERMU Actions: ERMU staff regularly provides customer service coordination in <br />garbage issues, so the nuance can be understandably vague. In 2020 staff <br />undertook a bill redesign that itemizes the service and its provider, nevertheless <br />there is consistent confusion between ERMU, the City, and the garbage service <br />provider. Developing clarity remains an ongoing effort for customer service <br />representatives and the communications department. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: <br />$4,625 for this distribution and analysis of surveys, a budgeted item. <br />ATTACHMENTS: <br />• Customer Satisfaction Survey Report — Q1— 2024 <br />Page 2 of 2 <br />