Bord Gáis Energy survey reveals Irish public are loyal homebirds

A significant 86% of the Irish public have revealed that they plan to retire in their home county.

That’s according to a new research study of 1,525 people, commissioned by Bord Gáis Energy.

The research was carried to celebrate the Bord Gáis Energy Rewards Club which, to date, has given back over €10 million in savings to customers through its range of unmissable rewards. Through the Bord Gáis Energy Rewards Club, customers can access a host of fantastic offers and experiences from the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, GAA Hurling Championships and Tesco Clubcard/Boost programme.

Many Dublin residents hail from elsewhere in Ireland, but over half (53%) have remained loyal to their home county and would move back if an equivalent job became available. Demonstrating their loyalty even further, almost half of those surveyed (44%) feel that it is important to have their car registered in the county that they are from, illustrating just how loyal the Irish public are.

Demonstrating loyalty on and off the field

Irish residents are known for being amongst the best sports fans in the world, so perhaps it’s of no surprise that 62% of fans have travelled abroad to watch their favourite Irish sports team in action, with 15% of those having travelled five or more times.

While over half (54%) support a UK premier league team, sibling rivalry is alive and well when it comes to their favourite teams. Almost 49% of the Irish public say that they support a different premier league team to their sibling. It’s a different ball game when it comes to GAA, with a massive 89% declaring themselves to be big fans of the sliotar and supporters of their home county.

Of those GAA fans, 47% are season ticket holders or supporters who cite that they would never miss a match involving their home county. 86% of this cohort of die-hard GAA fans have declared that they would refuse to support another team on the side lines, regardless of the circumstances. However, some are happy to lend their support to another team occasionally, with 1 in 10 admitting to splitting their loyalty to another county, based on where they are living at the time.

It’s a matter of GAA over job loyalty for 40%, admitting that they would risk being fired by wearing a GAA jersey to work instead of a suit. Hopefully for those researched hailing from Galway, Kilkenny and Limerick, they won’t be given their marching orders from their boss before their home county teams face off in the GAA All-Ireland Hurling Championship Finals this weekend.

Hitting the right note in a loyalty battle of the sexes

Ireland is a nation synonymous with music, with both a talent and loyal fan base to boot. Almost half (45%) of those researched have seen their favourite band or artist in concert 4 or more times and 49% have travelled to another county to see them perform.

Rewards programmes of Irish brands have continually offered fantastic discounts and amazing experiences to customers for many years. The research has revealed that women are more loyal to brands than men, with 70% of women saying that they are more likely to purchase from a brand that has a rewards programme in place, compared with 59% of the opposite sex. It seems women are also more loyal as friends and less likely to be swayed in their friendship by a large sum of cash. 1 in 4 (27%) men said they would ditch their best friend for €1 million compared to only 16% of women.

The Unmissable Bord Gáis Energy Rewards Club

Bord Gáis Energy established its Rewards Club in 2012 as a way of rewarding customer loyalty. Members of the biggest and best energy rewards programme in Ireland have exclusive access to VIP experiences and pre-sale tickets for the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, unmissable experiences at GAA matches including the 'Cupán Tae’ upgrade, opportunities to be a flag bearer and man of the match presenter, and savings on groceries and energy bills through Bord Gáis Energy’s partnership with Tesco.

Dermot Mulligan, Marketing Controller, Bord Gáis Energy said:"Whether you pledge your support to the GAA, or always at the front row at a music gig, Irish people are a loyal bunch. At Bord Gáis Energy, we are all about rewarding loyalty and are delighted to announce that to date, we’ve given back over €10m in savings to Rewards Club customers. We’re committed to providing value and choice to our customers and are focused on offering unmissable experiences and savings."