NEW JERSEY NATURAL GAS RANKS HIGHEST IN THE EAST REGION ON THE J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES 2012 GAS UTILITY BUSINESS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION STUDY TWO YEARS IN A ROW

WALL, N.J. – For the second consecutive year, New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) ranked the highest in the Eastern United States according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Gas Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study SM. Now in its seventh year, the annual study measures business customer satisfaction with gas utility companies in the East, Midwest, South and West across six categories: billing and payment; corporate citizenship; price; communications; customer service; and field service.

“To be recognized as the highest ranked utility in the East Region by J.D. Power and Associates, a name synonymous with customer satisfaction, says a lot about our company,” said Laurence M. Downes, chairman and CEO of NJNG. “I’d like to thank our employees for their unwavering commitment to serving our customers. This recognition is a reflection of all that they do.” 

NJNG ranked highest in overall customer satisfaction amongst natural gas utilities in the East Region. The company’s overall score of 698 is well above the regional average of 661. Additionally, NJNG was ranked as a high performer in the billing and payment; price; communications; and field service categories.

The Gas Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study is based on online interviews, conducted from May to July 2011 and October to December 2011, with more than 10,200 businesses that spend between $200 and $50,000 a month on natural gas. Over 50 utility brands, each serving more than 25,000 business customers, are included in the study. More information on the J.D. Power and Associates study can be found at www.jdpower.com.

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For information on cell phone ratings, car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance and more, please visit jdpower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

New Jersey Natural Gas
New Jersey Natural Gas is the principal subsidiary of New Jersey Resources, a Fortune 1000 company, that provides safe and reliable natural gas and renewable energy services, including transportation, distribution and asset management in states from the Gulf Coast to the New England regions, including the Mid-Continent region, the West Coast and Canada, while investing in and maintaining an extensive infrastructure to support future growth. With $3 billion in annual revenues, NJR safely and reliably operates and maintains 6,800 miles of natural gas transportation and distribution infrastructure to serve nearly half a million customers; develops and manages a diverse portfolio of 3.2 Bcf/day of firm transportation and over 62 Bcf of firm storage capacity; offers low carbon, clean energy solutions through its commercial and residential solar programs and provides appliance installation, repair and contract service to nearly 130,000 homes and businesses. Additionally, NJR holds investments in midstream assets through equity partnerships including Steckman Ridge and Iroquois. Through Conserve to Preserve®, NJR is helping customers save energy and money by promoting conservation and encouraging efficiency. For more information about NJR, visit www.njresources.com.