Public power utilities rank high in business customer satisfaction, a new J.D. Power report shows.
J.D. Power released its 2023 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study on Nov. 15.
The Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study, now in its 25th year, measures satisfaction among business customers of 79 targeted U.S. electric utilities, each of which serves more than 50,000 business customers.
Overall satisfaction is examined across six factors (listed in order of importance): power quality and reliability; price; billing and payment; corporate citizenship; customer contact; and communications.
The 2023 study is based on responses from 17,683 online interviews of business customers in decision-making roles related to their utility company. The study was fielded from February through October 2023.
Within each of the four U.S. geographic regions included in the study, utility providers are classified into one of two segments: large (serving 90,000 or more business customers) and midsize (serving 50,000-89,999 business customers).
The following utilities rank highest in business customer satisfaction in their respective region:
- East Large: BGE (for a second consecutive year) and PSE&G (in a tie)
- East Midsize: Atlantic City Electric (for a second consecutive year)
- Midwest Large: MidAmerican Energy
- Midwest Midsize: Indiana Michigan Power
- South Large: Alabama Power
- South Midsize: Florida’s JEA
- West Large: Salt River Project (for a third consecutive year)
- West Midsize: Seattle City Light (for a second consecutive year)
Along with SRP, JEA and Seattle City Light, the following public power utilities were also recognized for earning high marks when it comes to business customer satisfaction:
- CPS Energy (South Region/Large Segment)
- Austin Energy (South Region/Midsize Segment)
- SMUD (West Region/Midsize Segment)
- LADWP (West Region/Midsize Segment)
JEA
The first year JEA received the top ranking was in 2016.
JEA’s leadership team and the JEA Board of Directors have established strategic goals that include earning customer loyalty, delivering business excellence and developing an unbeatable team.
“Our 2,000-plus team members work daily to help us provide foundational services for our community and support economic development in Northeast Florida,” JEA Managing Director and CEO Jay Stowe said. “As a community-owned utility, we are committed to serving our customers’ needs and continuing to make it easier to do business with JEA.”
Nationally, JEA ranked third among mid-size utilities (serving between 50,000 and 89,999 business customers). JEA ranked 13th out of all 77 utilities represented in the study.
JEA Chief Customer Officer Sheila Pressley said the J.D. Power recognition underscores the utility’s unwavering commitment to delivering service with “unparalleled quality and customer satisfaction.”
SRP
For the second year in a row, SRP ranked highest in business customer satisfaction among all large electricity providers in the nation. SRP also ranked first among large electricity providers in the West Region for the third consecutive year.
According to J.D. Power’s 2023 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study, business electric customers gave SRP a customer satisfaction score of 818 on a 1,000-point scale.
In the West Large segment, SRP scored highest in all six customer satisfaction factors: Power Quality and Reliability, Price, Billing and Payment, Corporate Citizenship, Communications and Customer Service.
“This ranking is a direct reflection of the work SRP employees do every day to provide reliable, affordable and sustainable power,” said Rudy Navarro, SRP interim associate general manager and chief customer executive. “We consider ourselves an energy partner and offer a number of options to help SRP business customers, including energy efficiency programs that help them lower expenses and achieve their sustainability goals.”
The average score in 2023 in the West Large region, which covers utilities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, is 740.
SRP’s top ranking in the West Large region in the 2023 J.D. Power business study marks its 52nd award in the 25 years that J.D. Power has surveyed SRP’s residential and business customers.
LADWP
“This recognition by JD Power serves as a testament to our commitment to providing safe, reliable water and power at competitive rates and programs to help our customers save on their bills, while offering exceptional business customer service,” said Martin Adams, LADWP General Manager and Chief Engineer.
