Electric Languages For Foyle Meats

02/01/2008

To help people from different ethnic minority backgrounds with the practicalities of settling into Northern Ireland, NIE Energy has launched a new online guide.  
 
The guide, available in 13 languages, gives key information for customers on how to open or close a NIE Energy electricity account, how to get discounted electricity, what to do in the event of power failure, how to use electricity efficiently in your home and electrical safety. There is also information on the services NIE Energy offers for customers who depend on life supporting electrical equipment and services the company provides for vulnerable customers.  
 
It is increasingly important for companies here to be able to communicate with customers in different languages. Foyle Meats, part of Foyle Food Group, has teamed up with NIE Energy to launch the ‘Electricity and You’ online guide.  
 
Kevin Tyre from Foyle Meats in Campsie said: “Language remains the biggest barrier to integration in both the workplace and at home. I think this would be very useful information for ethnic minority residents in Northern Ireland. I commend NIE Energy for taking the step to embrace the increasing diversity in Northern Ireland.”  
 
The guide is available in Arabic, Cantonese, Czech, English, Irish, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese as well as Romanian, Russian, Tetum, Ukranian and Urdu.  
 
Angeline Sloan from NIE Energy added: “NIE Energy 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.nieenergy.co.uk or, customers can call NIE Energy on 08457 455 455 and request a hardcopy of the guide (home lines open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and on Saturday 9am to 1pm).  

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