Business
California's utility bills were even higher in January than PG&E predicted they would be. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
People truly dislike the Pacific Gas & Electric Company, and a survey of 28 major American gas providers once again ranks the utility dead last in customer satisfaction.
Overall, the American Customer Satisfaction Index Energy Utilities Study 2022-23 revealed that residential customers nationwide are roughly as happy with their natural gas service as they’ve ever been. The company with the most satisfied consumers is Atmos Energy, which serves most of North Texas and millions of people in seven other states from Colorado to Virginia.
It should be noted, however, that the range of scores is narrow. On the 1-100 scale, Atmos clocked in at 77 while PG&E earned a 63. Further, its score actually rose a few points over last year’s 61.
"We realize we need to do more and have made incredible progress over the last few years," PG&E spokesperson Rob Stillwell told The Standard by email. "Today, PG&E is a different company with new leadership under Patti Poppe, who became CEO in January 2021. We are encouraged by the year-over-year increase in that short time and will continue to build on that for this year."
San Francisco-based PG&E serves millions of Californians in a wide swath of the state extending from Humboldt County in the north to Ventura County in the south. It earned little love from ratepayers this winter when a spike in gas prices—which the company does not set—occurred as supplies dwindled during an atypically cold winter for California, causing residential charges to skyrocket.
Earlier in March, PG&E hinted that gas bills may fall by as much as three-quarters, as it applies a state-mandated credit a month early and temperatures rise.
Astrid Kane can be reached at [email protected]
