BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS—Clay Electric Cooperative said it was awarded J.D. Power’s “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Residential Electric Service among Cooperatives,” according to the J.D. Power 2021 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study.
The co-op has won other awards from the market research company in the past, but this is the first time it has received top honors in the annual national ranking.
“Clay Electric employees are the best of the best, and make a true difference for our members,” said Clay Electric General Manager/CEO Ricky Davis in a news release. “This J.D. Power award is a tangible representation of how our members feel about the cooperative as a whole. I am grateful and humbled by their praise and goodwill.”
The study is based on responses from 100,999 online interviews conducted from January 2021 through November 2021 among residential customers of the 145 largest electric utility brands across the United States, which represent more than 101 million households. Clay Electric is the 10th largest distribution electric cooperative in the country.
The co-op said utility performance in the study was measured in six areas and Clay Electric ranked first in four of the six factors: price, billing and payment, communications and customer care. The other areas studied were corporate citizenship and power quality and reliability.
The co-op said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it lowered the cost of power three times, paused disconnects on past-due accounts and donated $50,000 to local food banks.
“Utility customers want to hear about these efforts and, when they do, overall satisfaction is higher,” said John Hazen, managing director of the utility practice at J.D. Power.
Clay Electric’s score increased 48 points to 822 out of a maximum of 1,000 in 2021 compared to the previous year’s J.D. Power study.
Clay Electric Board of Trustees President Jimmy Wilson credited the co-op’s employees for the strong performance in the study.
“Excellent customer service and member satisfaction is our mission at Clay Electric,” Wilson said. “On behalf of the board, I extend my deepest appreciation and thanks to the employees for their dedication to our members and the cooperative. We couldn’t be prouder of you and your accomplishments.”
