Driving energy efficiency: Fexco’s 15-year innovative partnership with SEAI
Martin Ryan, Director of Fexco’s Managed & Advisory Services, takes a closer look at how continuous innovation in customer delivery has further strengthened and enhanced this enduring and successful partnership.
For more than 15 years, Fexco and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) have forged a successful partnership that serves as an excellent example of how collaboration between the public and private sectors can contribute significantly to the betterment of society. This partnership has played a pivotal role in advancing the national energy efficiency, innovation, and sustainability agenda. The collaboration, which initially began in 2009, has not only enhanced customer engagement but also remains essential to Ireland’s ongoing commitment to implementing sustainable energy solutions across the country.
The recent renewal of this partnership is a strong testament to our continued dedication to supporting homeowners, businesses, and public institutions in making well-informed decisions about energy usage and sustainability. With nearly 200,000 customer interactions on an annual basis, Fexco’s deep expertise in customer management has been instrumental in assisting the SEAI in promoting energy efficiency and encouraging the widespread adoption of renewable energy solutions throughout Ireland. This ongoing collaboration represents a critical step in driving Ireland’s energy transformation and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.
A partnership rooted in innovation and excellence
At its core, the longstanding relationship between Fexco and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is founded on the principles of open communication, continuous innovation, and a mutual commitment to a shared vision for long-term sustainability. This strong foundation has enabled both organisations to work seamlessly together in pursuit of common goals that benefit both individuals and communities across Ireland.
Over the years, our collaboration with the SEAI has steadily evolved, grown stronger, and expanded in both scope and impact. This ongoing evolution has been marked by the seamless integration of cutting-edge technologies, forward-thinking strategies, and innovative service delivery models designed to meet the needs of today’s energy-conscious society. These advancements have played a crucial role in enhancing overall customer experiences, strengthening engagement across all user groups, and streamlining the implementation and management of key energy efficiency programmes nationwide.
By consistently embracing innovation and proactively adapting to the evolving, dynamic, and ever-changing needs, behaviours, and expectations of energy users across the country, our partnership continues to set a high benchmark for excellence in the energy and sustainability sectors. This forward-thinking approach enables us to remain agile and responsive, ensuring that our services and strategies remain relevant, effective, and future-ready in a rapidly shifting landscape.
We remain firmly positioned at the forefront of driving meaningful, measurable, and impactful change within the broader sustainability space; helping to shape a future that is not only more energy-efficient and technologically advanced but also more environmentally responsible and socially conscious. Together, we are contributing to the creation of a greener, smarter Ireland and making a positive impact that reaches well beyond national borders.
Customer management and advisory services
For Fexco, one of the most important, impactful, and enduring aspects of our long-standing partnership with the SEAI lies in our vital and multifaceted role in managing the SEAI’s customer interactions on a daily basis.
This responsibility serves as the backbone of how we provide support to individuals, businesses, and communities across the country who are actively seeking clear, accurate, and timely energy-related information, advice, and guidance.
Our dedicated team delivers comprehensive, end-to-end, omnichannel customer management services, ensuring that people can easily access support and information; whether through phone calls, emails, online platforms, live chat, or other preferred communication channels.
This strong, customer-focused approach includes the delivery of SEAI’s Energy Advisor Services, which offer expert, personalised guidance specifically tailored to the unique needs of homeowners, small businesses, and larger organisations as they navigate the path toward improved energy efficiency and more sustainable practices.
In addition to these advisory services, we also provide critical administrative support for a wide range of key national programmes and initiatives, such as the Building Energy Rating (BER) scheme. This particular scheme plays an essential role in assessing, benchmarking, and communicating the energy performance of residential and commercial buildings. It empowers property owners and occupants to better understand their energy consumption patterns and identify practical opportunities for improvement.
Through these combined services and our collaborative efforts, Fexco helps ensure that SEAI’s energy programmes remain accessible, effective, and responsive to the evolving needs of Irish society. Together, we are working to support a greener, more energy-aware nation that is firmly aligned with Ireland’s broader sustainability objectives and climate action goals.
Harnessing innovation for energy efficiency with AI
Fexco has been a driving force behind several transformative innovations in its work with the SEAI. One of the most notable advancements is the deployment of Fexco’s proprietary SmartAssist Platform within Fexco’s SEAI operation, Fexco SmartAssist at its core is an AI-driven platform that provides personalised energy advice by tailoring recommendations at the appropriate balance between customer information and energy efficiency measures, empowering homeowners and businesses to make informed decisions about energy conservation and renewable energy adoption.
Moreover, Fexco has coupled SmartAssist with its omnichannel customer management platform, integrating phone, email, chat, and self-service options to enhance accessibility for the SEAI customers. The system streamlines grant applications and energy efficiency assessments by leveraging AI and automation, reducing wait times and improving the overall experience.
These innovations have not gone unnoticed. In December 2024, the partnership received the ‘Outsource Partnership of the Year’ award at the CCMA Irish Customer Contact and Shared Services Awards, a testament to their dedication to excellence in service delivery.
A spokesperson from the SEAI commented on the impact of the collaboration: “Working with Fexco has significantly enhanced how we engage with the public on energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives. Their expertise in customer service and technological innovation has been instrumental in making our programmes more accessible and efficient. Together, we are ensuring more people can take advantage of SEAI’s support to reduce their energy costs and carbon footprint.”
Collaboration for a greener future
Our collaboration with the SEAI is more than just a business arrangement – it is a model of public-private sector cooperation that drives real change. Their partnership actively supports the Irish government’s climate action goals, helping to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint through targeted energy-saving initiatives.
Through our collaborative work with the SEAI, Fexco plays a vital and proactive role in advancing Ireland’s national energy-saving obligations. Our efforts help ensure that public sector organisations, private enterprises, and businesses of all sizes align with the country’s broader environmental and sustainability targets. By providing essential support, resources, and expertise, we assist in driving progress toward a greener, more energy-efficient future.
This strong and effective partnership has already enabled thousands of individuals, households, and businesses to successfully transition to more energy-efficient solutions, demonstrating the real, measurable impact that strategic collaboration can have in the fight against climate change. It highlights how coordinated efforts between the public and private sectors can deliver meaningful outcomes, contributing not only to national policy goals but also to the everyday lives of people and communities across Ireland.
Job creation and economic impact
By continuously investing in both talent and advanced technology, we ensure that our collaboration with the SEAI remains at the forefront of innovation and excellence. This ongoing commitment not only strengthens the effectiveness of our joint initiatives but also plays a key role in supporting meaningful employment opportunities within Ireland’s growing green economy. Through this investment, we are actively fostering a skilled workforce equipped to meet the evolving demands of the sustainability sector.
This important aspect of the partnership goes beyond environmental impact, highlighting the wider economic and societal benefits that stem from well-executed sustainability initiatives. It demonstrates how climate action can serve as a catalyst for job creation, innovation, and long-term resilience; ultimately creating new opportunities for individuals and businesses alike while simultaneously addressing the urgent challenges posed by climate change.
Creating a better future together
As Ireland continues its ambitious and far-reaching journey toward transitioning to a greener, more energy-efficient, and environmentally sustainable economy, partnerships like the one between Fexco and the SEAI will play an increasingly vital and strategic role. These types of collaborative efforts are essential not only for scaling up national energy efficiency programmes and initiatives but also for ensuring that Ireland’s long-term environmental goals and broader sustainability targets are successfully met, maintained, and continuously improved upon.
By harnessing the collective strengths, capabilities, and resources of both the public and private sectors, such partnerships can significantly help accelerate meaningful, lasting progress in the face of mounting climate-related challenges.
Our enduring, dynamic, and ever-evolving relationship with the SEAI stands as a proven and effective blueprint for how impactful and mutually beneficial public-private partnerships can operate. It demonstrates that when organisations come together with a shared vision, embrace technological innovation, and prioritise a customer-centric approach to service delivery, they can collectively drive transformative change. The positive effects of this collaboration extend well beyond the energy sector alone; reaching into many critical areas of Irish society, including housing, financial stability, road safety, community development, Social Inclusion, and numerous other interconnected domains that influence quality of life and long-term resilience.
In today’s global landscape, where climate action has become not just a priority but a defining and urgent necessity, the partnership between Fexco and the SEAI serves as a compelling example of how strategic collaboration can empower local communities, stimulate continuous innovation, and accelerate the broader national and international transition to a low-carbon economy. This ongoing alliance has become a reliable and trusted source of guidance, expertise, and practical support for individuals, homeowners, public institutions, and businesses across the country who are actively working to enhance their energy efficiency and reduce their environmental impact.
By maintaining a clear and unwavering focus on sustainable development, long-term environmental stewardship, and increased energy awareness, this partnership continues to pave the way for a cleaner, more resilient, and environmentally conscious Ireland; bringing tangible benefits not only to current generations but also to those of the future.
W: www.fexco.ie
