1. Customer Focus Group Status Reports
ERGEG CFG Workshop, Helsinki
October 11th, 2005

2. Customer Focus Group’s issues for 2005
Guidebook of definitions
Evaluation and best practice proposition of
Customer switching
Transparency of prices
Customer protection

3. Customer Switching Report
The issues addressed:
Customer switching process
Metering requirements
Electronic data interchange
Obstacles for customer switching
Plans and programmes to enhance and simplify the switching process
Level of switching activity

4. Conclusions The switching model
Contacts (new and old supplier, network operator)
Tasks of market actors
Importance of electronic data interchange
Metering requirements and solutions
Fees, existing tariff structures, regulated tariff systems and market structure affect switching
Lack of harmonised definition and data on switching activity

5. Transparency of Energy Prices, Bills and Contracts
Availability of price information
Price comparisons
Transparency of Bills and Receipts
Contents of a bill
Billing
Transparency of contracts
Concluding a contract, contents of a contract
Amending the prices and terms of contract
For all: legal framework

6. Conclusions
Importance of price transparency is affected by the degree of market opening
The existence of many types of prices (regulated prices, incumbent list prices, offer prices etc.)
The requirement to publish prices (only the incumbent or all, regulated prices or offer prices)

7. Conclusions (continued)
Access to price information (whether information is scattered or can be found in one place, how up-to-date the price information is)  tariff calculator, price register
Legal framework for price transparency of bills
Itemization of bills
Separation of energy and network prices and charges

8. Customer protection and the Directives
Electricity and Gas Directives  universal service = right to be supplied with electricity/gas of a specified quality within their territory at reasonable, easily and clearly comparable and transparent prices

9. Annex A of the Directives;
Customers must be ensured
contract with necessary items
adequate notice of contract modifications
transparent information on prices and tariffs
wide choice of payment methods
no charge for changing supplier
transparent, simple and inexpensive procedures for dealing with complaints
they are informed of their rights regarding universal service

10. Customer Protection Report
Commercial quality of supply
Not a standardized issue
Variation in information gathering, standards used and consequences of non-compliance
Dispute settlement
Most of the participating ERGEG member countries have organised dispute settlement
Regulator/consumer protection authority/general or energy sector specific dispute settlement boards

11. Customer Protection Report
Supplier of last resort
Definition and terms: supplier of last resort – default supplier
Usually it is the local distribution company or the incumbent supplier
The terms of service are usually regulated
Supply to vulnerable customers

12. Next steps To prepare the best practice propositions on
Customer protection
Customer switching
Price transparency
The propositions are expected to be drafted by the end of the year
If the time table is followed, a public consultation process will take place during the 1st quarter of 2006
Finalization of the best practice propositions during the 2nd quarter of 2006