Protergia dominating supplier online references, study finds

Electricity supplier Protergia dominated the number of online references among the country’s independent players, followed by Heron and Elpedison, between January and August, according to research conducted by Athens-based web agency NetSteps.

Approximately 3.4 million online sources, such as news sites, blogs, forums and social media, were monitored for the study, focused on 12 independent electricity suppliers.

The main power utility PPC was examined separately, as a unique brand, because the extent of the utility’s market dominance would have distorted the study’s overall results.

Protergia experienced an increase in online references in June and July, gaining a considerable number of Facebook shares, the NetSteps study found.

Elpedison enjoyed its strongest month in February as a result of its collaboration with Public and insurance company AXA, while Heron registered an increased number of online references in June. Watt & Volt experienced a relatively smaller peak in May, when the electricity supplier launched its first retail store in Thessaloniki. Green’s online traffic rose in March as a result of competitions staged through Facebook and discount offers.

As for the electricity market’s biggest influencers, Energypress topped the list with the greatest number of energy-sector news reports.

Topics that boosted PPC’s online references included privatization news, negotiations with government officials, electricity price changes, fire damages at facilities, new jobs and union-related developments.