While some utilities would like to sell customers electricity bundled with local and long-distance telephone and cable television, consumers may not be interested, according to a recent survey.
The RKS National Residential Customer Assessment found that residential customers view bundled service offerings with suspicion.
"These latest findings call into question the concept of cross-functional mergers (em the idea of combining a variety of energy and communications services under a single brand for the residential market," said David J. Reichman, RKS research president. Reichman added that residential customers want more, not fewer, choices.
The most affluent and well-educated customers are the least interested in purchasing bundled services from a single provider.
If a customer did want bundled services, then one-third would purchase it from their electric utility. Nineteen percent would choose their local telephone company; 12 percent would choose their long-distance provider. Only 4 percent would seek such services from their cable company.