Yankee Gas Customers Give Company High Marks for Service, Reliability in Second Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey

Yankee Gas Services Company
P.O. Box 270
Hartford, CT 06141-0270
(800) 989-0900

www.yankeegas.com

News Release

Yankee Gas Customers Give Company High Marks for Service,
Reliability in Second Annual Customer Satisfaction Survey

MEDIA CONTACT:	Mary Ingarra
Office:	(860) 665-6212

BERLIN, Conn., January 20, 2004 (NYSE: NU) – Customers of Yankee Gas Services Company, Connecticut’s largest natural gas distribution company, continue to be very satisfied with the service they receive, as reflected in the second annual Customer Satisfaction Survey. The survey found Yankee Gas achieved an overall customer satisfaction level of 92 percent in 2003. Conducted by The Center for Research and Public Policy, the survey measured customer satisfaction in the areas of company characteristics, customer service and field technician personnel, service contracts and company information and communication.
Among the survey’s highlights:

The highest positive rating was in the areas of reliability and having courteous employees.

Customer Service personnel were given a positive rating of 91.5 percent

Customer satisfaction with Yankee’s service plans remains very high, at 95 percent, compared to 89.6 percent in 2002.

Field technicians received an overall positive rating of 94.6 percent. They also received high marks for having a clean, professional appearance and for their competence.

A majority of customers polled reported service from Yankee has improved or remained high over the past year.

More than three-quarters of all respondents said they would call Yankee Gas to repair or service their natural gas equipment.

Public awareness of the presence of natural gas in their communities is very high, while 97.5 percent of respondents say they would know how to detect a gas leak and who to call for help.

“These survey results give us good insight into what our customers think of the service we are providing every day,” said Christopher L. Beschler, vice president of Operations for Yankee Gas. “We are gratified by what our customers are telling us and we work hard every day to earn their trust and loyalty and to deliver the safe, reliable energy they demand and deserve. We are always striving to be the best company in Connecticut for customer service and while this survey indicates we’re on the right track, our work is not finished.”

Supporting these survey results are Yankee’s 2003 performance in meeting or exceeding the Service Quality Plan (SQP) metrics set by the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC). These metrics measure Yankee Gas’s overall customer service such as phone waiting times while contacting the company, customer appointments kept on time, billing accuracy and customer satisfaction. They also measure Yankee’s safety performance such as gas emergency responsiveness and preventing damage to underground piping by excavators.

Survey respondents were 18 years of age or older, one of the heads of their household and a current residential Yankee Gas customers. The survey was conducted in September 2003 and has a margin for error of +/- four percent.

Yankee Gas Services Company (Yankee Gas) is Connecticut’s largest natural gas distribution company, delivering safe, reliable natural gas service to approximately 192,000 customers in 71 cities and towns. Yankee Gas is expanding Connecticut’s energy options and increasing customer choice by extending the availability of clean, efficient natural gas throughout the state. Yankee Gas is part of the Northeast Utilities System (NYSE: NU). For more information, please visit www.yankeegas.com.

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