Residents of California are defaulted into Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) services. Historically, CCA customer retention rates have been very high, perhaps supported by the lower costs and greater levels of renewable generation afforded through the CCA model. However, some customers do choose to opt out, and return to their previous provider. Understanding when and why customers opt out will be key to minimizing such action in future. 

Drawing on analysis of survey results from customers who opted out of CCA service, we examine why customers opt out, and identify key actions to help improve customer satisfaction and mitigate opt-outs in future. We suggest that CCA providers address auto-enrollment concerns and maximize customer retention through raising awareness of CCA, building trust with customers, taking steps to clarify confusions over costs, and creating an intentional choice context to provide customers with the information they need at the time of decision.