Intermountain Gas receives top marks by national consumer advocate

When it comes to customer satisfaction, Intermountain Gas Company ranks highest, according to one consumer advocacy organization.

In its 2023 Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study released on Nov. 29, J.D. Power ranked Intermountain Gas highest for satisfied customers in the West Midsize Segment. The agency received a score of 767, the most points in the west region. The average score among gas utilities in the region was 741.

The scores are based on the responses from customers of 85 large and midsize gas utilities across the continental U.S. during a study which was conducted between January and October of 2023. The study represents 64.6 million households.

“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, in a release. “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.”

Intermountain Gas serves residential, commercial and industrial customers throughout 74 communities in the southern Idaho region. President and Chief Operating Officer Nicole Kivisto expressed appreciation for the ranking.

“Our employees take great pride in providing safe and reliable natural gas to our more than 415,000 customers in Idaho,” she said. “We’re honored by this recognition of their hard work.”

According to J.D. Power, the most important issues facing the study respondents were the economy and jobs in first place, followed by energy prices and taxes and government spending in third place.

“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,” the organization stated.

For the West Large Segment ranking, Southwest Gas came in highest for a fourth consecutive year. Other regions’ highest ranking organizations were as follows:

• 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 11th consecutive year)