Reluctant Communication: Energy Transition Products Barely an Issue between Consumers and Energy Suppliers

Press Release – Thursday, October 15, 2020

For energy suppliers, a sustainable product and service portfolio is more important than ever. A recent EUPD Research study shows that the main emphasis in previous customer communication is mostly on classic issues such as electricity and gas tariffs. Innovative technologies for electricity generation – such as photovoltaic systems – make up only eight percent of energy suppliers’ communication. For the fourth time, the Energiewende Award 2020 honors forward-thinking energy suppliers.

Bonn. Based on an analysis of Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), renewable energies achieved a record share of almost 53% of the German net electricity generation in 2020.[1] Although negative economic impacts of the global coronavirus pandemic reduced the demand for electricity, social developments display an increasing importance of sustainability in general and renewable energies in particular. On a political level, commitments to nuclear and fossil-fuel phase-out complement these developments.

A comprehensive product and service portfolio with respect to energy transition, is barely found among energy suppliers in the DACH region. The success of new products needs active customer address. As revealed by the latest survey of Bonn-based market and economic researcher EUPD Research, communication between private end consumers and energy suppliers almost exclusively focuses on traditional topics such as electricity or gas tariffs. Innovative technologies for electricity or heat generation as well electric mobility make up only four to eight percent of communication between energy suppliers and end consumer.

“For energy suppliers, a targeted customer communication is becoming more relevant in order to understand the needs of end consumers and to meet them with innovative products and services”, comments Dr. Martin Ammon, Managing Partner of EUPD Research. The Energiewende Award by The smarter E Europe, DCTI and EUPD Research acts as a catalyst and presents energy suppliers – with an already well-developed portfolio associated with energy transition – as role models.

As an alternative for the official award ceremony at the innovation platform: “The smarter E Europe – Europe’s largest energy industry platform“ in Munich 2020, a municipal utility best practice day is going to take place. Selected winners of the Energiewende Award will present their solutions according to the motto “Learn from the best”. The online event “Municipal utilities as role models for the Energiewende” consists of three individual sessions with keynote speakers Prof. Dr. Claudia Kemfert (heads the Energy, Transportation, and Environment department at the German Institute for Economic Research/ DIW Berlin), Dr. Simone Peter (German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE) e.V.) and Katja Diehl (owner of She Drives Mobility). It will take place on Thursday, October 22, 2020. All information and free pre-registration can be found here.

For the second time, this year’s Energiewende Award has been supported by Vaillant.

Further information about this year’s winners can be found here .

Please contact Saif Islam at +49 (0) 228 97143-20 or islam(at)energiewende-award.de if you have any questions.

[1] Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE (2020): ”Energy Charts“ at: https://energy-charts.info/charts/renewable_share/chart.htm?l=de&c=DE&share=ren_share&partsum=0

You are using an outdated browser

The website cannot be viewed in this browser. Please open the website in an up-to-date browser such as Edge, Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.