Project Aurora: Consumer Insights and Market Intelligence Study for PAYGO Energy and Household Products

In partnership with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) AaretonBlue supported the implementation of Project Aurora, a large-scale consumer insights study designed to understand how households across Africa access, finance, and use essential energy and household products. The research explored consumer experiences with solar home systems, smartphones, cooking gas solutions, backup power products, and other pay as-you-go (PAYGO) financed technologies that are transforming access to energy and household services across emerging markets. The study examined the complete customer journey—from product awareness and purchase decisions to repayment experiences, customer satisfaction, and future purchasing intentions. Through structured consumer interviews conducted across multiple African markets, the research generated evidence on the factors that drive product adoption, brand loyalty, and long-term customer retention within the rapidly growing PAYGO and distributed energy sector. A central component of the research focused on understanding how consumers evaluate and interact with leading energy and technology providers. The study assessed brand awareness, customer satisfaction, Net Promoter Scores (NPS), trust, product quality perceptions, pricing perceptions, agent effectiveness, and after-sales service experiences. These insights enabled a comprehensive evaluation of market positioning and competitive performance across multiple 12 product categories. The project also explored the affordability and accessibility of PAYGO financing models. By analyzing repayment behaviors, payment challenges, income shocks, and product lockout experiences, the study generated valuable insights into the financial realities faced by consumers and the factors influencing successful repayment and customer retention. Beyond customer experience, the research assessed the broader impact of energy and technology products on household well-being. The study examined changes in quality of life, access to electricity and clean energy, business productivity, and household economic outcomes. It also identified emerging demand for additional products and services, providing actionable intelligence to support future product development, cross-selling strategies, and market expansion initiatives. The findings from Project Aurora provide energy companies, financial service providers, investors, and development partners with a robust evidence base for improving customer experience, strengthening product portfolios, expanding financial inclusion, and accelerating access to affordable energy solutions across Africa.