Electricity provider Electric Ireland has chosen Irish company Abtran to run its customer service.

It will see the Cork-based firm deal with 1.2 million residential and business customers.

The contract, awarded after a competitive tendering process, runs for the next three years to 2022.

There is also an option to extend it for a further four years.

The company also has operations in Sligo, Maynooth and Dublin.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney said: "I'm delighted to welcome this announcement where two highly innovative and market leading Irish companies are working together to bring new levels of service capability to consumers and businesses across the country."

Marguerite Sayers, executive director of Electric Ireland, added: "We're confident that Abtran's expertise will help us focus on excellence and personalised service provision across every customer interaction."

Electric Ireland is the retail arm of ESB and the leading energy supplier in Ireland supplying electricity, gas and energy services.

It has over 1.2m customers and an annual turnover of almost €2bn.

Electric Ireland has outsourced its sales and service activity to provide customer assistance via telephone, e-mail, webchat and social media.

ESB is the owner of the distribution and transmission networks in the Republic of Ireland (via ESB Networks) and Northern Ireland (via Northern Ireland Electricity Networks Ltd).

In 2018 it had a 38% share of generation in the all-island market, and a 33% share of the electricity supply market.

Abtran, established in 1997, is the largest Irish owned business process management provider.