Gas Utility Residential Customers More Worried About Utility Bills Than Taxes, J.D. Power Finds

Average Residential Gas Bill Jumps 37% from 2021

The average monthly residential gas utility bill increases by $31 from 2021 to $115 in 2023, according to the J.D. Power 2023 Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, ^SM released today. When listing the most important issues facing study respondents and their families, the number one issue is the economy and jobs, followed by energy prices. Taxes and government spending is third. Overall customer satisfaction for residential gas customers declines 10 points (on a 1,000-point scale) to 740 in 2023 from 750 in 2022, mostly due to a 24-point decline in price satisfaction, which fell more than any of the six factors that compose the overall customer satisfaction index.

“One-fourth of our study respondents say they were able to get help managing their gas bill but the increase in prices is overshadowing these utility efforts,” said Mark Spalinger, director of utilities intelligence at J.D. Power. “It is important for utility companies to not ignore the price increase, but effectively communicate to their customers what they’re doing to improve conservation and infrastructure and align value proposition in a way that helps customers see their money is being put to good use.”

Study Rankings

The following utilities rank highest in residential customer satisfaction in their respective segment:

• East Large Segment: New Jersey Natural Gas
• East Midsize Segment: Elizabethtown Gas (for a ninth consecutive year)
• Midwest Large Segment: MidAmerican Energy
• Midwest Midsize Segment: Atmos Energy (for a second consecutive year)
• South Large Segment: Piedmont Natural Gas (for a second consecutive year)
• South Midsize Segment: TECO Peoples Gas (for an 11^th consecutive year)
• West Large Segment: Southwest Gas (for a fourth consecutive year)
• West Midsize Segment: Intermountain Gas Company

See the rank charts for each segment at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2023169.

The 2023 Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 60,958 online interviews conducted from January through October 2023 among residential customers of the 85 largest gas utility brands across the United States, which represent more than 64.6 million households.

For more information about the Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/resource/us-gas-utility-residential-customer-satisfaction-study.

About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company’s business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules: www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info

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