Overview

  • AusNet undertook a study to quantify the value customers place on a range of benefits that are not currently captured in investment decisions.
  • It measured how much customers are willing to pay (or accept) for improvements or changes in areas like reliability, resilience, solar exports, and EV charging.

Methodology

  1. Collaborated with EDPR panel members to ensure a robust research approach and build stakeholder confidence.
  2. Conducted 12 in-depth qualitative interviews and facilitated 5 customer workshops with ~120 participants.
  3. Completed quantitative data collection supported by cognitive interviews to validate survey design and interpretation.

Key insights

  • The VCR calculation allows us to quantify the impacts of outages on our customers.
  • It takes into consideration a range of costs associated with outages, like;
    • spoiled food
    • lost productivity while working from home
    • business disruptions
    • costs of alternative accommodation
  • It provides us insight into customer preferences across different investment areas, supports cost-benefit analysis, and helps guide trade-off discussions.

How do we use this research?

EDPR expenditure modelling: Use customer value data to guide investment decisions that align with what customers care about most.

Apply these numbers & figures into the cost analysis of EDPR 2026-31 proposal: Integrate quantified customer preferences to justify and prioritise proposed costs.

Measure costs that aren’t usually considered: Include intangible customer impacts like inconvenience and satisfaction in cost assessments.