In partnership with 60 Decibels, GOGLA has supported the development and launch of the Consumer Protection (CP) Insights Survey Tool and Approach, which is offered to the sector by 60 Decibels as part of their Lean Data Survey service. Using the Consumer Protection Principles, the survey allows companies to use direct customer feedback to help evaluate their performance against the CP Code and understand what is – or isn’t – working.  

In 2024, 60 Decibels spoke to more than 12,000 customers of solar lanterns, solar home systems, and solar appliances across 20 countries. From these customer surveys, they were able to benchmark the off-grid solar industry’s first Consumer Protection Score: 69% – not bad, but room for improvement.  

This series of reports dive deeper into the data behind the CP Score and the operational drivers of consumer outcomes. The first examines customer experience in relation to four of the six Consumer Protection Principles: Transparency, Responsible Sales and Pricing, Good Customer Service, and Fair and Respectful Treatment. The second uses information about the operational models and practices of 59 pay-as-you-go companies and asked how different PAYGo financing models can affect the customer experience. For example, does collecting a down-payment make customers feel less financially burdened by their PAYGo contract, or do customers have a worse experience if they are expected to make-up missed payments before their system will unlock. 

Three findings stand out: 

1. Investing in improved communication and verification of understanding with customer pays off: Customers who are aware of the contract terms are better able to manage their payments and less likely to find the payments burdensome. However, 2 in 5 companies told us that they don’t conduct phone calls or in-person visits during and after the sales process to ensure that customers understand the key terms and conditions.  
2. More training for customer-facing sales staff is needed: 60% (3 in 5) of companies said they don’t provide, or offer only basic training on how to understand the financial vulnerability of customers. This is particularly key in emerging solar appliance sector, where 48% of customers report that their payments felt burdensome.  
3. Investing in issue resolution pays off: If a customer has an issue with their product, they are more likely to perceive their payments to be a burden, are less satisfied with their product and more likely to default. Reducing the ‘challenge rate’ for customers increases their willingness (and in some cases, e.g., with livelihood-linked appliances, their ability) to pay. 

Interestingly, 8 of the top 10 performing companies in consumer protection are women-owned, and 7 of the top 10 are locally-owned. 

If your company (or portfolio if you’re an investor) is engaging 60 Decibels to gather consumer insights – ask about adding on the Consumer Protection Module. 



*This report series was funded through the GOGLA Consumer Protection Programme, which has been supported by BII Plus, DOEN Foundation and FMO since 2018. Thank you to all companies and investors who have taken measures to improve consumer protection by learning from their customers through a Lean Data Consumer Protection Survey.