Kenya’s power utility firm Kenya Power has developed a new website called ‘PowerAlert,’ it says will help reduce unexpected outages and blackouts as well as make it easier for Kenyans to establish places without electricity.
PowerAlert gives realtime power blackouts and status throughout the country. It is divided into eight zones from North Eastern to Coast.
According to Kenya Power, the website consolidates all scheduled outages or shutdowns in a single portal for clients to plan their daily activities effectively as well as help minimize inconveniences that may be caused.
PowerAlert also allows users to sign in through their Facebook, Twitter and Google accounts and by including one’s location, the user receives an SMS, Twitter or e-mail notification when an outage occurs within the area.
Kenya Power has recently embraced social media and technology in a bid to improve service delivery with several users receiving faster replies to complaints through Facebook or Twitter than the usual customer service telephone lines.
PowerAlert website shows whether the power problem within an area has been reported and what the company is doing regarding the issue. The comment section allows customers to check or report the status.
It is expected that as more Kenya Power systems are becoming automated, the company could attain efficient and faster response to complaints and billing.