Most Americans are satisfied by the utility service they receive, according to a national poll.
Some 24.1 percent of those responding to a survey by St. Louis-based Maritz AmeriPoll said they are very satisfied with their utility services, while another 68.6 percent said they are satisfied.The poll also noted that Americans generally remain opposed to construction of new nuclear power plants.
According to the poll, 28.5 percent believe electric companies do the best job. Telephone companies ranked second at 13.5 percent and natural gas service was third at 10.4 percent. Some 13.6 percent said service was about the same, and 17.2 percent said they didn't know.
The company uses a scientifically selected telephone sample of 1,000 U.S. residents for its poll, which has an accuracy level of plus or minus 4 percent.
Among the standard municipally provided services, water and sewer rated highest with 3.9 percent saying it was the best, while garbage collection ranked second best with 3.7 percent.
Cable TV was ranked first by only 4.9 percent, while 13.6 percent said they were all the same and 17.2 percent said they didn't know.
When asked what improvements are needed, 28.2 percent requested easier access to utility employees to discuss problems. More educational information was desired by 17.1 percent. Another 16.4 percent said they would like utility companies to show a more caring attitude and 16 percent want requests handled more quickly and efficiently. Some 22.
While opposition to nuclear plants was not overwhelming at 52.4 percent, the opposition did carry strong sentiment. Some 21 percent said they were strongly opposed with another 31.4 percent expressing simple opposition. Only 8.2 percent said they strongly favored nuclear power expansion.