LADWP #2 IN WESTERN UNITED STATES IN
Los Angeles – Business customers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power rate the utility 2nd highest in overall customer satisfaction among public and investor-owned utilities in the Western United States and 8th highest in the nation, according to a study released last week by J.D. Power and Associates. The 2008 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study (SM) ranked the LADWP second only to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District in the Western United States and ahead of 51 out of the 58 largest electric utilities across the nation.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for the LADWP and a testament to our strong Customer Service team. We are very pleased to be ranked so high among all utilities — municipal and privately owned — in the Western region,” said H. David Nahai, LADWP chief executive officer and general manager. “This achievement demonstrates our commitment to providing reliable power at rates that are lower than investor-owned utilities, providing programs to improve our customers’ bottom line while protecting the environment and offering exceptional customer service.”
The J.D. Power and Associates study reflects the opinions of representatives of more than 13,500 businesses that spend between $500 and $50,000 each month on electricity. In rating the nation’s 58 largest electric utilities, the six factors used to measure overall customer satisfaction included power quality and reliability, customer service, company image, billing and payment, price and communications.
Indicating a rise in customer satisfaction, the study’s nationwide index increased this year to 697 points on a 1,000-point scale, from 690 points in 2007.
The Western Region’s 13 largest utilities ranked as follows:
- 1. Sacramento Municipal Utility District – 777 points
- 2. LADWP – 724
- 3. Salt River Project – 722
- 4. Pacific Gas and Electric – 721
- 5. Portland General Electric – 717
- 6. Southern California Edison – 701
- 7. Arizona Public Service – 700
- 8. PNM Resources – 695
- 9. Puget Sound Energy – 682
- 10. PacifiCorp – 681
- 11. Sierra Pacific Resources – 679
- 12. Xcel Energy – West – 672
- 13. San Diego Gas & Electric – 662
Among the key findings in this study nationwide, customers reported experiencing slightly fewer outages, decreased duration of outages, and increased awareness of community outreach and conservation activities, as well as more frequent visits to the utility websites.
“I congratulate and thank our employees for their continued dedication in providing the services that our customers appreciate. While we are very proud of this recognition, we also are aware that there is still room to grow. That is why I am excited about our Power Reliability Program that will focus on making upgrades and taking other measures to improve the reliability of our power system and strengthening customer communications,” said CEO Nahai. “We are a customer-conscious utility and will continue striving to exceed our customers’ high expectations.”
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power was established more than 100 years ago to provide a reliable and safe water and electric supply to the City of Los Angeles residents and businesses. The LADWP serves approximately 1.4 million electric customers and 680,000 water service customers. For more information, log on to http://www.ladwp.com/.
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