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Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure BG-2021-36/2125 – measures in Bulgaria

Digital services delivered by ENERGO-PRO

Дигитализиране на услугите на ЕНЕРГО-ПРО

Country Bulgaria , applies nationwide
Time period Open ended, started on 02 September 2021
Context COVID-19
Type Company practices
Category Reorientation of business activities
– Change of production/Innovation
Author Tsetomila Sabcheva and Luboslav Kostov (Citub)
Measure added 09 January 2022 (updated 14 March 2022)

Background information

The Virtual Customer Service Center significantly facilitates the clients requests for accession to the electricity distribution network. Required procedures such as filling-in paper applications, printing documents and visiting a physical office are minimized as a number. Customers save time while being able to trace all deadlines regarding the process through their own electronic devices. The measure allows on-line connection to the electricity company and thus no presence at the customer service office is needed. This leads to fewer interactions within the company's premises.

Content of measure

ENERGO-PRO is implementing the Virtual Customer Service Center project, launched in 2020. The project developed over 2021 and got released through the online platform . By visiting the website customers can connect to the electricity distribution network in Northeastern Bulgaria. The innovative initiative united the ideas and efforts of various units in ENERGO-PRO and made it the first company in the sector to provide this type of service. In order to start the accession process, the client requests a one-time PIC code at the Energo-Pro Service Center. After that applications can be submitted online. In this way, the client has the opportunity to monitor the progress of the request on-line.

The project is part of the company's initiatives on preventing person-to-person spread of COVID-19. ENERGO-PRO regularly disinfects its premises and follow all state introduced epidemic measures. The company promotes usage of electronic services so that customers can obtain information without direct interaction within the customers centers. One of the electronic services of ENERGO-PRO, which enjoys growing interest, is checking and paying the electricity bill through the company's website. The company even started a game with prizes to promote the on-line service interaction and thus eliminate the need of visiting an office. Customers can also take advantage of the Information Portal for non-commercial customers which allows checking monthly bills for a period of three years. The ENERGO-PRO website can also be useful to customers in terms of access to modules for checking the payment schedule, reporting schedule, dates and times of planned interruptions, application for electronic invoice.

The ENERGO-PRO was recognized by the General Labour Inspectorate as medium-sized enterprise as a major national company applying a policy for preventing the spread of coronavirus.

Use of measure

As part of the project, ENERGO-PRO installed in June 2021 tablets at the physical customer centers counters. One of the latest project innovations is the possibility to submit applications for the connection to renewable energy sources. In the next stages of the project, digitalization of other services of the company is planned, and in the near future the introduction of online submission of applications for entering into contractual relations with ERP North and ENERGO-PRO Sales is forthcoming.

Contents

  • Health and safety

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Does not apply to workers Does not apply to businesses Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
Company / Companies
Companies

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role No involvement No involvement
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • No involvement
  • Main level of involvement: Company level

Involvement

No social partners' involvement can be detected in terms of designing, implementing and monitoring the project.

Views and reactions

No social partners' views have been expressed in the media at the time of announcing the project.

Sectors and occupations

    • Economic area Sector (NACE level 2)
      D - Electricity, Gas, Steam And Air Conditioning Supply D35 Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

  • 27 November 2020: ЕНЕРГО-ПРО насърчава използването на електронните канали за комуникация с компанията (www.energo-pro.bg)
  • 14 March 2021: Шест пловдивски компании с отличия за борбата с COVID-19 СПИСЪК (www.marica.bg)
  • 02 September 2021: ЕНЕРГО-ПРО дигитализира услугите по присъединяване към мрежата и заявяване на ВЕИ инсталации (www.energo-pro.bg)

Citation

Eurofound (2022), Digital services delivered by ENERGO-PRO, measure BG-2021-36/2125 (measures in Bulgaria), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/BG-2021-36_2125.html

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