Electric Languages

19/06/2007

NIE has recently launched its ‘Electricity and You’ booklet in not one or two, but nine different languages.  
 
The booklet covers key information for customers on how to open or close a NIE account, get discounted electricity, what to do in the event of power failure, how to use electricity efficiently in their homes and electrical safety. There is also information on the services NIE offers for customers who depend on life supporting electrical equipment and services the company can provide for vulnerable customers.  
 
South Belfast Alliance MLA Anna Lo helped NIE launch the booklet, she said: “I think this would be very useful information for ethnic minority residents in Northern Ireland. I commend NIE for taking the step to embrace the increasing diversity in Northern Ireland”  
 
The booklet is available in Polish, Tetum, Lithuanian, Czech, Russian, Cantonese, Portuguese, Romanian, Ukranian and will also be available in Irish, Arabic and Urdu in the near future.  
 
NIE will make the booklet available on NIE’s website and from the company’s call centre, plus it will be circulated amongst local ethnic minority groups.  
 
Alan Egner from NIE added: “NIE supplies electricity to every home in Northern Ireland and with an increasing number of people living here from other countries, it is important that we are able to communicate our services to them.  
 
“So many people from other countries can speak English so well, but they may not always be able to read it as well. By making key information on our services available to them in their own language, we hope it makes dealing with us regarding electricity easier.”  
 
For anyone who has access to the web, the booklet can be seen or downloaded and printed from www.niesupply.net. Or customers can call NIE on 08457 455 455 and request a copy of the booklet (home lines open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and on Saturday 9am to 1pm).  

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