Nicor Gas named among nation’s most trusted utilities by business customers

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – July 12, 2021 – For a second year in a row, Nicor Gas has been recognized as one of the most trusted utilities in the nation in a leading study of utility industry brands and business customer engagement released by Escalent, a top human behavior and analytics advisory firm.

Nicor Gas was named among the top 24 companies on Escalent's 2021 Trusted Business Partner list of utilities that scored highest nationally in brand trust on the Cogent Syndicated Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Business study. Nicor Gas also ranked fifth nationally for natural gas providers in business customer brand trust benchmark scoring by more than 15,600 business customers surveyed from the 79 largest utilities across the U.S.

“At Nicor Gas, we work tirelessly at keeping our customers at the center of everything we do, from our energy assistance programs to our investments in safe and reliable infrastructure,” said John O. Hudson III, president and CEO of Nicor Gas. “We are honored by this award, and this ranking reflects the dedication of our entire team and commitment to our customers, especially during these trying times.”

Escalent noted in the study that business customers trust their utility companies significantly more after energy companies, like Nicor Gas, stepped in to support local economies and communities during the pandemic. Their utility, businesses said, is also a trusted adviser and partner in their success.

In the past year, Nicor Gas has provided more than $25 million in bill payment assistance to customers who have been financially affected by the ongoing pandemic and committed to help 250,000 families meet their basic needs. As small business owners in northern Illinois struggled with challenges and risks to their operations as a result of COVID-19, Nicor Gas offered extended bill payment arrangements and an emergency assistance program, as well as provided other resources to help them stay afloat and roll into the new year with a plan.

Escalent's study explores utility relationships with business customers through a customer experience "Balanced Scorecard" approach. The study evaluates utilities on customer focus, community support, communications effectiveness, reliable quality, company reputation, customer advocacy and environmental dedication.

This is the second recognition for Nicor Gas by Escalent, which named the company a Most Trusted Utility Brand among residential customers last month.

For more information about Nicor Gas, visit nicorgas.com.