UGI Utilities Named 2024 Customer Champion for Excellence in Customer Engagement

UGI Utilities, Inc. has earned a spot on the prestigious 2024 Customer Champions list, as determined by Escalent, a leading data analytics and advisory firm. This recognition underscores UGI's commitment to fostering strong customer relationships and delivering exceptional service in the utility industry. The accolade comes as part of Escalent's biannual Cogent Syndicated Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential study, which evaluates the performance of 142 utilities across the United States.

To achieve the Customer Champion status, UGI Utilities demonstrated excellence in several key areas that surpass industry averages. These include building goodwill within local communities, effectively communicating with customers about system improvements, and offering impactful programs such as energy savings initiatives. The company's success in these areas reflects its dedication to not only meeting but exceeding customer expectations in an increasingly demanding energy landscape.

Suzanne Haggerty, director of syndicated research with Escalent's Energy industry practice, emphasized the sustained nature of UGI's achievement, noting that Customer Champions like UGI have maintained higher scores compared to their pre-pandemic performance. This consistency indicates a long-term commitment to customer engagement rather than a temporary improvement.

The study's methodology involved surveying 59,377 residential customers of electric, natural gas, and combination utility companies, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of customer satisfaction across the industry. UGI's inclusion among the Customer Champions signifies its position as a leader in customer service within this large and diverse field of utility providers.

Dan Adamo, UGI's Vice President of Customer Relations, highlighted the alignment between this recognition and the company's core mission, stating, "UGI's mission of delivering safe, reliable, and affordable energy services is built on providing high level customer service." Adamo also expressed pride in the achievement and reaffirmed UGI's commitment to ongoing improvement through investments in employee training and technology enhancements.

This recognition has significant implications for both UGI Utilities and the broader utility industry. For UGI, it validates their customer-centric approach and may lead to increased customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. From an industry perspective, UGI's success sets a benchmark for customer engagement, potentially inspiring other utilities to elevate their customer service standards.

The achievement is particularly noteworthy given the challenges faced by utility companies in recent years, including increased demand for sustainable energy solutions, the need for infrastructure upgrades, and evolving customer expectations in the digital age. UGI's ability to excel in this environment demonstrates its adaptability and forward-thinking approach to customer relations.

As a natural gas and electric utility serving over 740,000 customers across 46 counties in Pennsylvania and one in Maryland, UGI's recognition as a Customer Champion has far-reaching implications. It suggests that large-scale utilities can successfully maintain high levels of customer satisfaction while managing extensive operations, setting an example for the industry.

The Customer Champion designation not only reflects UGI's current performance but also sets expectations for its future endeavors. As the energy sector continues to evolve, UGI's demonstrated commitment to customer engagement positions it well to navigate upcoming challenges and opportunities in the utility landscape.