DTE Energy named 2015 minority business champion

DETROIT, Jan. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A nationwide survey of nearly 12,000 business customers ranked DTE Energy DTE among the top utilities in providing high-quality service and building relationships with minority-owned businesses.

The company ranked No. 2 against 59 other utilities in a customer engagement study conducted by Market Strategies, earning DTE a top spot on the 2015 Business Customer Champion list. 

A number of initiatives in the past few years have helped DTE achieve this ranking, including its focus on improving service reliability and educating customers on energy efficient practices. In 2014, customers who participated in DTE's energy-efficiency programs will realize a lifetime energy savings of $585 million.

The survey measured customer engagement in the areas of brand trust, product experience and operational satisfaction. DTE Energy earned 797 on a 1,000 point scale, which is 49 points higher than the national business score.

"We're continually working to forge strong relationships with business customers by offering products and programs tailored to their specific needs," said Jerry Norcia, DTE Electric president and chief operating officer. "It's a privilege to serve a growing, thriving minority business community. We're proud that our efforts are resonating with business customers."

According to Chris Oberle, senior vice president at Market Strategies, DTE's energy efficiency programs in particular are important to business customers.

"These businesses view their utilities as trusted advisers and are actively seeking advice from them on ways to manage their energy consumption more economically and build a better business climate," Oberle said.

"These programs help business customers save money and energy," Norcia said. "Most importantly, they're allowing us to provide the best possible service on a daily basis. We're proud our minority-owned business customers recognize these efforts."

About DTE Energy
DTE Energy DTE is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading.  As one of Michigan's leading corporate citizens, DTE Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in the 450 Michigan communities it serves in a variety of ways, including philanthropy, volunteerism and economic progress. Information about DTE Energy is available at dteenergy.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com/dteenergy.

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SOURCE DTE Energy