Outage Notification & ETA Accuracy Satisfaction Survey

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in this survey. We are conducting research about experiences with power outage notifications and estimated restoration times over the past 12 months. Please answer based on your primary energy provider. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time. There are no right or wrong answers — we are interested in your honest opinions. All responses are confidential and will be reported only in aggregate. This survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

In the past 12 months, did you experience any power outages at your residence?

• Yes, at least one
• No
• Not sure

Approximately how many separate power outages did you experience in the past 12 months?

• 1
• 2
• 3–4
• 5–7
• 8–10
• More than 10

Which of the following channels did you receive outage notifications from? Please select all that apply.

• SMS/text message
• Email
• Mobile app push notification
• Automated phone call/IVR
• Utility website/status page
• Social media
• In-person door tag or letter
• I did not receive any notifications

Thinking about the most recent outage notification you received, how would you rate its timeliness?

Compared with the estimated time of restoration (ETR) you received, the actual restoration was…

• Much earlier than stated
• Slightly earlier than stated
• About what was stated
• Slightly later than stated
• Much later than stated
• I did not receive an ETR

Overall, how satisfied are you with how your utility provider communicates during outages?

For planned outages, how much advance notice would you prefer from your utility provider?

• Same day (less than 4 hours)
• Same day (4–12 hours)
• Day before (12–24 hours)
• 2–3 days before
• 4–7 days before
• More than a week before
• I don't need advance notice

Based on your responses in this survey, please share any additional thoughts or feelings about your experience with outage notifications and estimated restoration times.

What is your age?

• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65+
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for completing this survey. Your feedback is valuable and will be used to help improve outage communication practices.

Which single channel would you most prefer for receiving outage updates?

• SMS/text message
• Email
• Mobile app push notification
• Automated phone call/IVR
• Utility website/status page
• Social media
• Other (please specify)
• No preference

How would you rate the clarity of that notification?

During your most recent outage, how frequently were the estimated restoration times updated?

• No updates after the first estimate
• Updated once during the outage
• Updated every few hours
• Updated hourly or more frequently
• I did not receive an estimate

How confident are you that future estimated restoration times from your provider will be accurate?

Please rank the following by importance for improving outage communications, where 1 = most important.

1. More accurate estimated restoration times
2. More frequent updates during outages
3. Clearer cause-of-outage and crew status information
4. Earlier proactive notifications before outages
5. Reliable delivery on my preferred channel
6. Interactive outage map with live status

What is your gender?

• Female
• Male
• Non-binary
• Prefer not to say

How would you rate the usefulness of the information provided in that notification?

How likely are you to recommend your utility provider to a friend or neighbor based on their outage communication?

Which country or region do you live in?

• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• Australia
• Other (please specify)

Which best describes the area where you live?

• Urban
• Suburban
• Rural
• Prefer not to say