Customers Rate NW Natural Second in J.D. Power and Associates Study

Northwest Natural Gas, dba NW Natural (NYSE:NWN), posted the second highest overall customer satisfaction score in the West in the 2009 J.D. Power and Associates Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study^SM.

The J.D. Power and Associates study ranks 75 of the largest natural gas and combination utilities serving more than 53 million households. The study, now in its eighth year, measures satisfaction across six factors: corporate citizenship, communications, price, billing and payment, customer service and field service.

"It’s gratifying to get this kind of feedback from our customers, and we continue to look for ways to improve and exceed their expectations,” said Gregg Kantor, NW Natural President and CEO. "To consistently rank among the best in our industry for customer satisfaction is a source of great pride for us, and a testament to the commitment of our employees.”

About NW Natural

NW Natural is headquartered in Portland, Ore., and serves about 660,000 residential and business customers in Oregon and Southwest Washington. It is the largest independent natural gas utility in the Pacific Northwest. For more information about NW Natural, please visit www.nwnatural.com.