Israel Electric Corporation Tops Public Service Rankings Amid Market Competition Shift

The Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) has significantly improved its customer service, ranking first among major public entities in a recent State Comptroller report. This shift comes as Israel's electricity market opens to private competition, prompting IEC to enhance its service offerings and customer engagement methods. According to the report, IEC scored an overall 87.7, up from 81.1 previously, with its website and telephone and in-person service centers receiving top marks of 96 and 96.7 respectively.

Contrary to trends in other sectors like banking and telecommunications, which are reducing physical branches, IEC expanded its service centers from 11 to 34 nationwide. It also operates a mobile service unit reaching areas without permanent centers, facilitating account ownership transfers, debt arrangements, bill inquiries, and discount eligibility checks. Remote services have also grown, allowing customers to pay bills, report faults, track outages, transfer contracts, and receive digital invoices via the website, app, and WhatsApp.

IEC's call center handles around five million calls annually and has integrated artificial intelligence systems to manage inquiries and reduce wait times. These improvements respond to a market where hundreds of thousands of households have switched to private electricity suppliers offering discounts on supply charges. While IEC still manages infrastructure and fault repairs, competition now emphasizes service quality and accessibility.

Looking ahead, IEC plans to redesign electricity bills to present charges more clearly, addressing consumer difficulties in understanding bill components. This change is expected to be implemented soon. Overall, the evolving electricity market in Israel is driving IEC to prioritize service availability, accessibility, and clarity alongside pricing to retain customers.