Mobile Apps Provide the Best Customer Experience among Mobile Options offered by Utility Companies, J.D. Power Finds

SRP Achieves the Highest Satisfaction Score with Utility Websites

COSTA MESA, Calif.: 10 Mar. 2017 — As utility companies increasingly offer mobile apps, customers are finding that the digital experience with those apps is more satisfying on a smartphone than with other mobile options such as responsive design or dedicated mobile sites, according to the J.D. Power 2017 Utility Website Evaluation Study,SM released today.

The study, now in its sixth year, is based on a combined ranking of evaluations collected across mobile websites/apps and desktops/laptops/tablets for electric, gas and/or water utilities across the country. The study explores how easy it is to use a utility’s website by examining 16 tasks based on the type of utility, including making a payment; viewing consumption history; reviewing account information; researching energy saving information; updating service; logging into your account; viewing and reporting outages; and locating water quality reports.

The study finds that among the three types of mobile channels utilities offer, satisfaction is highest for mobile apps, which score 415 points on a 500-point scale. By comparison, responsive websites—those where the web content adjusts to various screen sizes—score 409 points, and dedicated mobile websites score 403 points. Overall satisfaction with the mobile experience continues to lag the desktop experience, which averages 422.

“While use of mobile apps from utility companies is still relatively low, usage is clearly on the rise, reflecting the increasingly mobile nature in which customers interact with their utility,” said Andrew Heath, senior director of the utility and infrastructure practice at J.D. Power. “Expectations are set by industries like financial services that have made mobile account access essential tools for customers. It’s important for utilities to understand how customers want to communicate with them and, in turn, customize their apps and websites to meet those needs.”

Other Key Findings • SRP ranks highest in utility website satisfaction, with a score of 439. SRP performs particularly well in viewing consumption history, updating service and locating contact information. Following SRP in the ranking are Westar Energy (438), NV Energy (437) and AEP (436). • Water utilities lag in satisfaction with their websites compared with gas and electric utilities, particularly in the areas of being able to update service, account login, make a payment, and reviewing account information.

The 2017 Utility Website Evaluation Study (UWES) is based on evaluations from more than 16,500 residential electric, gas and/or water customers, with 6,168 of these customers providing feedback about their online experience using a mobile device. The 73 largest U.S. electric, gas and/or water companies are included in the study, which was fielded from December 2016 through January 2017.

The study provides utility companies with an objective assessment of the usability of their website; establishes performance benchmarks; provides improvement recommendations; and identifies best practices across the industry. Ease of use is calculated on a 500-point scale.

See the online press release at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2017026.

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. Those capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has offices serving North/South America, Asia Pacific and Europe.

Media Relations Contact Geno Effler; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; [email protected]

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/about-us/press-release-info

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J.D. Power 2017 U;lity Website Evalua;on StudySM

Overall Index Ranking (Based on a 500-point scale) 250 300 350 400 450 500 SRP 439 Westar Energy 438 NV Energy 437 AEP 436 ONE Gas 434 Alabama Power 433 PPL Electric UXliXes 432 Southwest Gas 432 Portland General Electric 431 SMUD 431 Atmos Energy 430 Georgia Power 429 DTE Energy 428 FirstEnergy 428 SCANA 428 Entergy 427 FPL 427 Vectren 427 PacifiCorp 426 We Energies 425 Ameren 424 LG&E-KU 424 WEC Energy Group 424 Eversource Energy 422 KCP&L 422 OG&E 422 Puget Sound Energy 422 Southern California Gas Company 422 NW Natural 421 -Progress 419 MDU Resources Group 419 418 - Gas 418 Industry Average 417 (Ranking con3nued on next page)

Source: J.D. Power 2017 U3lity Website Evalua3on StudySM

Charts and graphs extracted from this press release for use by the media must be accompanied by a statement iden7fying J.D. Power as the publisher and the study from which it originated as the source. Rankings are based on numerical scores, and not necessarily on sta7s7cal significance. No adver7sing or other promo7onal use can be made of the informa7on in this release or J.D. Power survey results without the express prior wriCen consent of J.D. Power.

J.D. Power 2017 U;lity Website Evalua;on StudySM

Overall Index Ranking (Based on a 500-point scale) 250 300 350 400 450 500

(Ranking con3nued from previous page) Industry Average 417 Duquesne Light 416 MidAmerican Energy 416 NIPSCO 416 APS 415 Consumers Energy 415 CenterPoint Energy 414 San Diego Gas & Electric 414 Avangrid 413 Duke Energy 412 Piedmont Natural Gas 412 Exelon - PHI 411 PSEG Long Island 411 411 L. A. Dept. of Water & Power 410 Aqua America 409 Columbia Gas 409 NaKonal Grid 409 Southern California Edison 409 UGI 409 Black Hills CorporaKon 408 Emera 408 Pacific Gas and Electric 408 PSE&G 408 Alliant Energy 406 NYC Department of Environmental ProtecKon 406 Peoples 404 Questar Gas 403 CPS Energy 402 Con Edison 401 American Water 399 WSSC 397 California Water Service 391 Washington Gas 387 Suez 354

Note: Six brands are not included in the ranking as a result of not having a mobile specific presence at the start of the study.

Source: J.D. Power 2017 U3lity Website Evalua3on StudySM

Charts and graphs extracted from this press release for use by the media must be accompanied by a statement iden7fying J.D. Power as the publisher and the study from which it originated as the source. Rankings are based on numerical scores, and not necessarily on sta7s7cal significance. No adver7sing or other promo7onal use can be made of the informa7on in this release or J.D. Power survey results without the express prior wriCen consent of J.D. Power.