Avista has earned the highest ranking in satisfaction among residential natural gas customers in the midsize natural gas utilities segment of the West region, according to the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study released today.

Avista’s score of 654 placed the utility highest in the segment, tied with Boise-based Intermountain Gas Company. The segment average score on this study was 629.

In its ninth year, the study surveys customer satisfaction across a number of factors, including billing and payment, price, corporate citizenship, communications, customer service and field service.

“We’ve been listening closely and doing the right things to serve our customers well, as the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 study affirms,” said Dennis Vermillion, president of Avista Utilities. “The highest ranking is wonderful recognition of our dedicated employees who are making the difference.”

Avista Corp. is an energy company involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities provides electric service to 355,000 customers and natural gas to 315,000 customers. Its service territory covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.5 million.