Bord Gáis Energy launches app in response to online demand

BORD GÁIS Energy has launched an iPhone app in response to customers’ growing preference for online interaction with the company.

The free application is available on iTunes and will allow customers to track bills, submit gas meter readings and access company messages and contact details.

The Think Beyond app was developed by the company’s e-channel team and is the first of its kind among the State’s traditional utility companies.

The decision to create it came following the success of the Big Switch campaign online, where the website registered 37 per cent of all sign-ups for its electricity service.

“The success of the online channel during the Big Switch campaign opened a lot of eyes in here and showed people that it’s something we need to look at more closely,” said Stiofáin Mac Dhaibhead, electricity product owner at Bord Gáis Energy. He added that smart metering was also likely to change the way people interact with utilities.

“The consumer is heading towards having access to all of their billing information on their smartphone and we’re probably looking towards a time when the call centre will become obsolete or we at least won’t have as much reliance on it.”

Mr Mac Dhaibhead said the Bord Gáis app was modelled somewhat on what was already available overseas, particularly from companies like British Gas. He also said the company had every intention of regularly updating the app in the months ahead to make it more useful for customers.

“At the moment it will give you a live snapshot of your last bill, your last meter reading and information on previous payments,” said Eoin Ó Suilleabháin, e-channel developer for Bord Gáis Energy. “In phase two we plan to add a feature to allow people to pay their bill through the app itself; the infrastructure is all there so it’s just got to be enabled.”

At present, customers cannot submit electricity meter readings through the app but Mr Ó Suilleabháin hopes this too will become available shortly. The app is only available on the iPhone and iPod Touch but it will be ported to other systems as demand increases.

“We have to be interacting with the customer in a space that they’re comfortable with,” Mr Mac Dhaibhead said. “We would like to have everything available from version one, but it’s really a matter of getting out there and then taking on board feedback to improve future versions.”