The score is nine points higher than the electric utility industry average of 73, with only one other utility scoring as high as Touchstone Energy co-ops.

”The fact that we’re locally owned, responsive to our member-owners and committed to providing quality service continues to pay off in customer satisfaction,” said Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Chief Operating Officer Jim Bausell. “This latest ACSI score is evidence that Touchstone Energy cooperatives are building strong customer loyalty through their first-rate service.”

ACSI is one of the most recognized customer satisfaction indexes in the United States. It’s managed by the University of Michigan Business School and sponsored by the American Society for Quality. It measures customers’ satisfaction in 16 major industries and 190 leading corporations. The index is a weighted average of three questions on a 0 to 100 scale.

The results of the recent ACSI survey confirm that Touchstone Energy co-ops consistently provide superior service in the electricity market. This is the second time in less than a year that Touchstone Energy cooperatives have outdone their industry counterparts. The co-ops also received a high score of 82 in a second-quarter 2002 survey. In this latest ACSI survey, a number of Touchstone Energy co-ops outclassed the rest of the industry with exceptionally high scores. Several of these co-ops include:

n Cuivre River Electric Co-op, Troy, Mo. — 90.

n Tri-County Electric Co-op, Rushford, Minn. — 89.

n Four County Electric Membership Corp., Burgaw, N.C. — 88.

n Central Electric Membership Corp., Sanford, N.C. — 87.

n Meade County, Brandenburg, Ky. — 87.

n Allamakee-Clayton Electric Co-op, Postville, Iowa — 87.

n Palmetto Electric Co-op Inc., Hardeeville, S.C. — 86.

n Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corp., Lenoir, N.C. — 86.

n Jones-Onslow Electric Membership Corp., Jacksonville, N.C. — 86.

“We’re very pleased with the results,” said Nancy Gust, director of marketing and member services at Central Electric Membership Corp. “They are dedicated to serving our members’ needs and do the work that earns our member trust.”