- Launch aims to help the two thirds (66%) of UK homes that don’t have emergency cover
- Over half (55%) of people without cover admit they don’t know who to call in an emergency
- First Utility Home Services is powered by a multi-million pound partnership with BIZZBY, the UK’s number one home services technology platform
First Utility, the UK’s largest independent energy and broadband supplier, is launching a new service to help all those struggling to find a quality local supplier to sort out emergencies such as a broken boiler or a plumbing panic. It will also connect people with help for a wider range of home jobs like gardening, cleaning and general DIY tasks such as putting up shelves or assembling furniture.
First Utility Home Services is aimed at the more than half of Brits, who don’t have emergency cover, and would have no idea who to call in the event of a home emergency. At the click of a button, First Utility Home Services customers can book local, highly rated professional tradespeople, at a convenient time along with real-time pricing for the job needed.
Under 35s are least likely to know where to turn in an emergency as 70% of those without cover don’t have the number of a trusted supplier to hand (2). This potentially puts them at risk of paying over the odds or getting poor quality service.
Two thirds of the UK is without boiler care or home emergency cover (3) meaning a large proportion of homes rely on emergency call outs. And the lack of known, trusted people to go to has seen the number of online searches for local tradespeople explode in the past three years with Google searches up 500% in 2016 compared to 2014 (4).
First Utility Home Services is the result of a multi-million pound deal with BIZZBY, the on-demand home services platform. It is the next step in First Utility’s diversification plans and part of the company’s mission to make it cheaper and more convenient for customers to run their home. It follows its recent broadband launch, and sees the energy provider take an equity stake in the pioneering tech company, connecting BIZZBY’s network of 500,000 local tradespeople to First Utility’s 900,000 customers.
Interestingly, a recent Which? survey showed that local independent engineers rank highest for customer satisfaction, when compared to those from major brands like British Gas or SSE (5) . First Utility will be supporting this local economy and making it easier for customers to find trusted home support and deliver great customer satisfaction.
Ed Kamm, UK MD, First Utility said: “There has been huge growth in the number of people looking to find trusted tradespeople in their area on-demand. We’re making it incredibly simple for customers to book the services they need around their home with the knowledge that a trusted professional will turn up quickly and at the right price.
“There is a large local economy of highly skilled engineers and tradespeople who deliver great customer satisfaction. The First Utility Home Services proposition will help our customers access professional help with a wide variety of jobs from boiler maintenance to cleaning.”
Rohan Sinclair Luvaglio, BIZZBY founder and CEO said: “The home services space is going through a revolution and we’re proud to be leading the way. By leveraging our powerful platform we are able to bring First Utility Home Services to a large group of people who want trusted service providers at the tap of a screen. We’re also excited to have First Utility as a partner and strategic investor, together we are challenging the way home services are provided.”
BIZZBY’s platform, the first of its kind, uses latest technology to connect customers to the tradespeople they need, to help with jobs they may not have the time or the skills to complete. The real-time review scoring system continually monitors the reputation of all providers, ensuring customers always get a high quality. The convenient cashless payment means transactions are safe and straightforward.
1. 55% - Source: Opinium Matters Survey April 2017 2. Source: Opinium Matters Survey April 2017 3. 66% - Source: Opinium Matters Survey April 2017 4. Based on analysis of Google Trends benchmarks showing searches for ‘Electricians near me’, ‘Plumbers near me’ and ‘Cleaners near me’ increasing from 1076 to 4981. Numbers represent search interest relative to the highest point on the chart for the given region and time. 5. Based on Which? research published in the November 2016 issue of Which? Magazine