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19
SERVICES AND ESB ELECTRIC IRELAND
Oct/Nov 2011 www.esb.ie/em
EAP invites Credit Union to address meeting
THE EAP TEAM invited members of St Patrick’s Credit Union to their national meeting in Portlaoise recently. St Patrick’s Credit Union President and Director George O’Driscoll, recently-appointed General Manager Robert Cooper and Senior Loan Officer Simon Dunne accepted the invite and attended on St Patrick’s behalf.
A highly informative and valuable exchange of views took place with an agreement reached for both the EAP Team and the Credit Union to examine how best to work together on potential ways to provide financial help and support to staff and members.
Many people in Ireland are currently dealing with ongoing financial difficulties. Likewise, many ESB staff and their families also find themselves facing tough, challenging problems of:
- Paying regular bills
- Mounting debt
- Mortgage arrears
To assist members who may need some help, a new section on the credit union’s website www.stpatrickscu.ie called ‘Managing your Money’ seeks to encourage you to look at your finances, highlight where your money is going and put you on the first steps to effective budgeting and money management. A personal Budget Plan Calculator is also available, which assists in controlling finances. Joining the Budget Scheme is also another good option in helping to pay regular household bills.
Maintaining the Credit Union’s financial strength is dependent on continually reviewing the range of financial products on offer and implementing regulatory guidelines, whilst also striking a balance in meeting both the needs of the three quarters of our members who are ‘net’ savers, as well as those who are borrowers. Any member who has made a loan application to St Patrick’s Credit Union will have noticed the impact of changes to St Patrick’s Credit Policy, which reflects the current economic climate and procedures and guidelines issued by the Financial Regulator. While this has caused some extra work for the members, the supporting documentation now required with loan applications will help maintain the credit union as a safe, strong and secure financial entity.
At all times, the dedicated staff of St. Patrick’s are there to help with any member queries. Equally, your local EAP Officer will provide support and practical assistance with particular concerns.
Next year St. Patrick’s Credit Union celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Its success to date can be attributed to the sound co-operative principles on which the movement is based, the vision of the founding directors, the dedication of directors, agents and staff down through the years, and the co-operation of ESB management. We all wish for it to continue as successfully long into the future.
Our New App – The Appliance Calculator
WHAT EXACTLY IS AN APP? It’s one of those little icons on your phone, right?
An App is actually an abbreviated term for an application; a piece of computer software. However, the common use of the term has made an ‘App’ synonymous with the foregoing description or it simply makes sense that a scaled down application for a phone should have a scaled down (and trendy) name.
So, a scaled down computer program… What’s all the fuss about? Well, in spite of (or we might say, precisely because of) the simplicity of the App concept, they have taken the world by storm. Their phenomenal success has gone hand in hand with the rise of the Smartphone. This year, for the first time ever, Smartphones outsold PCs, an almost unthinkable phenomenon a few years back. And, of course, Apps are one of the primary reasons people find Smartphones so, well, appealing… (sorry!)
We’ve heeded this turn in technology and have added another App to ESB Electric Ireland’s virtual armoury (the other being the Meter Reading App). The Appliance Calculator, a popular go-to on our website, has been given a smart makeover, and has made the transition to the App market. And in good time too – colder weather is fast approaching, and if we are to believe some sources, we could be ankle-deep in snow before November. Now, we all know that colder and darker days lead inexorably to higher energy consumption, so energy efficiency is of the essence. We need to use what we have as efficiently as possible. In these tough times, people are desperate to lower their bills, and the Appliance Calculator App is designed for just this end.
What exactly does it do?
Well, it tells you in no uncertain terms what your home appliances cost to run. And in so doing, it creates awareness of those appliances that will happily guzzle away your power (like tumble dryers and plasma tvs), and those that are content enough to survive on a trickle (like CFL bulbs). Why did ESB Electric Ireland develop this tool? To allow our customers to take further control of their energy spend and to help them in an innovative fashion to identify the energy guzzling appliance culprits which reside in their homes. The energy appliance calculator app also provides a decent level of customisation; for greater accuracy you can input the exact wattage of your particular model of appliance (if you know it), and you can create your own list of home appliances. The latter allows you to create a comprehensive breakdown of your energy costs. The App also shows you the benefit of using appliances in different ways (e.g. washing clothes at 40°C versus 60°C) and the positive impact of using your appliances wisely (e.g. using a small ring on your stovetop versus a larger one). Cost calculations are based on the bi-monthly bill cycle (i.e. 61 days), so you’ll learn straight up what each appliance should contribute to your next bill.
So why not take two minutes of your time today to down load this must have app and start taking control of your energy spend with just a few quick clicks.
Help ESB Electric Ireland rank high in the app download charts to ensure ESB Electric Ireland remain leaders in innovation and service.
ACCLAIMED ACTOR Jason Bateman Visits Number 29
THE AMERICAN actor Jason Bateman is best known for his television sitcom work as Michael Bluth role in Arrested Development and his David Hogan role in Valerie. Jason together with his family were in Dublin early in September for the Irish Premiere of his latest film, The Change Up at the Savoy cinema. While here they were told about the wonderful museum at ESB’s Number 29 and the management and staff of Number 29 were delighted to welcome Jason and his family to the exhibition on the eve of the premier.
Croke Pundit
