IE Hub has partnered with Power NI to make it easier for customers experiencing financial difficulties to share their circumstances and access appropriate support.
The partnership sees Power NI become the first energy supplier in Northern Ireland to introduce IE Hub’s digital affordability platform, providing customers with a secure and convenient way to complete an income and expenditure assessment and share the information directly with Power NI.
Financial pressures can affect people for many different reasons, and discussing personal finances can sometimes feel difficult or overwhelming. By introducing IE Hub, Power NI is giving customers another way to explain their circumstances and access support in a format that is flexible, straightforward and designed around their needs.
Making financial support easier to access
Through the IE Hub platform, Power NI customers can complete an income and expenditure assessment online at a time and place that suits them.
Customers can use the platform to:
- Complete an income and expenditure assessment digitally
- Share financial information securely with Power NI
- Provide supporting documents when required
- Check for potential benefits, grants and other financial support
- Access a simpler and more convenient support process
Because information can be completed and updated online, customers have greater control over the process and can make changes if their financial circumstances alter.
The platform can also reduce the need for customers to repeatedly explain their situation, helping Power NI gain a clearer understanding of their circumstances while creating a more streamlined support journey.
Helping organisations provide more personalised support
IE Hub works with organisations to make affordability assessments easier for both customers and support teams.
By giving customers a secure way to provide an accurate picture of their finances, organisations can better understand individual circumstances and identify the most appropriate support available.
For Power NI, the introduction of IE Hub forms part of its wider commitment to supporting customers experiencing financial difficulty and ensuring its services remain accessible and responsive.
Dylan Jones, CEO of IE Hub, said: "Financial difficulties can affect anyone, and for many people the hardest part is knowing where to start or having to repeatedly explain their situation.
This partnership with Power NI helps remove some of those barriers by giving customers a secure and accessible way to share their financial circumstances digitally and receive more tailored support.
We’re incredibly proud to be working with the first energy supplier in Northern Ireland to introduce this type of digital affordability journey for customers."
The partnership also supports Power NI’s ongoing work with the Utility Regulator and other stakeholders to improve the experience of customers who may be facing financial pressure.
Gwyneth Compston, Power NI CSR Manager, said: "At Power NI, we’re committed to supporting every customer, especially during times of financial pressure."
Partnering with IE Hub allows us to offer a more flexible and supportive way for customers to share information about their circumstances, helping us better understand how we can support them in a way that works for them.
This is an important step in continuing to improve how we put customers first, making it easier to access help, reduce stress, and receive the right support at the right time.
Power NI provides customers with a range of additional support services through its Customer Care Register and continues to work on making its communications as clear and accessible as possible, including through its work with Plain English and Plain Numbers.
IE Hub’s digital affordability platform supports hundreds of thousands of people each year and is used by organisations across utilities, financial services, local authorities and the third sector.
Our aim is to make it easier for people to understand and communicate their financial position while helping organisations provide appropriate, personalised support.
We’re delighted to be working with Power NI as it introduces this approach to customers in Northern Ireland and continues to develop the support available to people experiencing financial difficulties.
