Nicor Gas named a Utility Customer Champion in residential study

Company recognized for commitment to customer engagement, environmental, social and governance priorities

NAPERVILLE, Il. – Feb 28, 2022 – Nicor Gas has been named a Utility Customer Champion among residential customers, according to a 2021 study by Escalent, a top human behavior and analytics advisory firm. The recognition is based on a nationwide survey of more than 76,000 residential electric and natural gas customers of the largest 140 utility companies to determine a Brand Trust Index score that ranks service satisfaction, product experience and brand trust

“We know that the last two years have been incredibly challenging, and the customers we serve not only rely on us to deliver the clean, safe and reliable natural gas service that they expect and deserve, but to also be active members of their communities who are committed to a sustainable future,” said John O. Hudson III, president and CEO of Nicor Gas. “It is an honor to be recognized by customers for our commitment as we continue to adapt our processes to ensure we’re always providing an exceptional experience.”

Nicor Gas joins the list of 45 utility companies that received the designation of “Customer Champions” for their industry-leading customer engagement levels. In the Midwest region category for customer engagement benchmark performance, Nicor Gas received a score of 737 on a 1,000-point scale.

According to the 2021 Cogent Syndicated Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential study from Escalent, customer engagement with utility companies has grown a significant eight points since pre-pandemic levels in 2019 to 721 out of 1,000 points due to an increase in supporting environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts.

“What makes the gains in customer engagement most impressive is it strengthened despite increasing bill amounts as service satisfaction metrics remained similar to prior years,” said Chris Oberle, senior vice president, Escalent. “Utilities have ramped up their outreach and ESG focus during the pandemic and the positive impact on their customer relationships was almost immediate. The nation’s best utilities are strong and engaging brands customers look to as trusted energy advisers.”

Last year, Nicor Gas pledged to support the conservation of 10,000 acres of open space throughout its service area and provided more than $2.8 million to nonprofit organizations to support the company’s philanthropy efforts in the areas of sustainability, economic impact and partnership initiatives to help meet the basic needs of 250,000 families who live at or below the federal poverty level. During the same year, Nicor Gas also directed more than $50 million in bill payment assistance to customers most in need. To learn more, visit nicorgas.com/community.

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Media Contact:
Allison Gregoire
470.733.2076
aegregoi@southernco.com