No Shocks in Electricity Survey

The USA's power companies have taken a slight knock from the 2003 Northeast blackout but have generally done an 'outstanding' job of maintaining high customer satisfaction, according to the latest from J.D. Power and Associates. Five of the six top utility companies are the same as last year.

The 2004 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction StudySM rates overall customer satisfaction based on performance on five factors: power quality and reliability, company image, price and value, billing and payment, and customer service. Utilities are ranked in four geographical regions and there is a separate category for medium-sized suppliers.

Overall satisfaction has fallen 3 index points from 2003, less than might have been expected given the tough last 12 months. According to Alan Destribats, Executive Director of J.D. Power's utility practice, the industry 'has done an outstanding job of continually improving operations and earning higher customer satisfaction marks, but events such as the blackout of 2003 and Hurricane Isabel have particularly impacted customers in the East and Midwest regions'.

Five of the six electric utilities ranked highest in their segments in 2004 are repeats of last year: LG&E Energy, Omaha Public Power District, PPL Electric Utilities, Salt River Project, and Southern Company. The sixth utility, MidAmerican Energy, ranks highest (in a tie) in a residential segment for the first time.

In the Eastern Region, PPL Electric Utilities ranks highest for the fourth consecutive year with a score of 106. In the Midwestern Region the top rank is tied between LG&E Energy and MidAmerican Energy - LG&E ranks highest for the fifth time in six years, while MidAmerican is the most improved utility in the region since 1999, up 9 index points. In the Southern Region, Southern Company ranks highest. In the Western Region, for the fifth time in six years, Salt River Project takes the top spot with an index of 116, the highest score in any of the four regions.

Among Medium-Size Utilities (serving between 160,000 and 400,000 customers each), Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) ranks highest for the third consecutive year.

Results are based on more than 25,000 telephone interviews conducted between March 25 and June 5, among residential customers of the 78 largest electric utilities across the continental United States. The company's web site is at www.jdpower.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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