Spark Energy sends its profits into the future with £1.5m investment in technology

SPARK Energy is to invest £1.5 million in digital technology to improve its customer service offering.

The utilities challenger is planning to launch smartphone and tablet solutions for its 400,000 customers as it seeks to build on last year’s record turnover of £159m.

A digital only brand for pay-as-you-go customers, an updated website and launch of a smart assistant chatbot are all part of what chief executive Chris Gauld said is “right on the cutting edge of what utilities suppliers should be doing for their customers”.

The company is also in the midst of a recruitment drive which will take the total headcount at the group’s Selkirk headquarters to more than 500.

Spark specialises in providing utilities to the private and social rent sectors. Its offering was boosted last year when it acquired broadband supplier Home Telecom, and secured a deal with broadcaster Sky to supplier television services.

Mr Gauld, said: “We’re constantly looking for ways to improve our customer experience and make it easy for them to engage with us at both Spark and Home Telecom.

“This is a bumper month for us, with loads of new digital tech going live after months of hard work by our in-house digital team. We see this as key to bringing down prices and increasing engagement amongst renters, buyers and sellers in the home move chain.”

Spark believes that customers who prefer to use the technology on offer to engage with the business makes them in effect selfserve customers which helps reduce costs.

The group is working on a second generation of its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot named Ami, to help customers with routine aspects of their account.