BUSINESS CUSTOMERS RANK DUKE POWER FOURTH IN NATION IN OVERALL SATISFACTION

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Duke Power ranks fourth out of 53 utilities nationwide in overall customer satisfaction of electric utility business customers according to J.D. Power and Associates 2005 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study. Duke Power's overall satisfaction score was 109, which is up from 103 last year.   

The JD Power and Associates study is based on interviews with representatives of more than 11,000 U.S. businesses that spend between $500 and $50,000 monthly on electricity. Overall customer satisfaction is based on six factors: power quality and reliability; customer service; company image; billing and payment; price; and communications.

“To be ranked as one of the nation’s best is rewarding, but our real gratification comes from our customers’ validation that our efforts are making a positive difference for them,” said Sandra Meyer, Duke Power’s group vice president of customer service, sales and marketing. “This is a superb tribute to our employees who work diligently and thoughtfully each day to ensure our customers receive the best possible service.”

Duke Power has a long tradition of serving customers well, but has increased its focus and efforts in recent years.

“Our customers’ needs and expectations are ever changing,” said Meyer. “To be successful, we must do more than provide reliable service at a fair price. We must work with our customers to find solutions and options that meet their ever-changing needs.”

In addition to having a dedicated Small Business Center (1-877-385-3722) to serve business customers, Duke Power has…

• increased its focus on economic development in the Carolinas, which is contributing to new jobs in our service territory;
• improved efficiency and accuracy of meter readings through mobile meter reading; and
• made available to business customers new options such as our Equal Payment Plan program.
  

In 2004 Duke Power was recognized with several customer service awards, including Electric Light and Power and Chartwell, Inc.’s Customer Service Project of the Year and the Energy Planning Network’s Utility ACE Award. Both awards recognized Duke Power for enhancements the company made to its automated phone system.

PA Benchmarking presented Duke Power its ServiceOne™ award for providing exceptional service to customers using measures of excellence in customer care, and the company’s call center was certified a “Center of Excellence” by Benchmark Portal through the Purdue University Center for Customer-Driven Quality.

Duke Power, a business unit of Duke Energy, is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities and provides safe, reliable, competitively priced electricity and value-added products and services to more than 2 million customers in North Carolina and South Carolina. The company operates three nuclear generating stations, eight coal-fired stations, 31 hydroelectric stations and numerous combustion turbine units. Total system generating capability is approximately 19,900 megawatts. More information about Duke Power is available on the Internet at: http://www.dukepower.com.

Duke Energy is a diversified energy company with a portfolio of natural gas and electric businesses, both regulated and unregulated, and an affiliated real estate company. Duke Energy supplies, delivers and processes energy for customers in the Americas. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: http://www.duke-energy.com.