ERRA > Member Activities > Former ERRA Committees/ WGs > Customers and Retail Markets Working Group

Customers and Retail Markets Working Group

Background

ERRA launched the Working Group on Customers and Retail Markets in June 2014. The preliminary mandate of the Working Group was from June 2014 through April 2016. The Presidium approved the continuation of the WG until April 2020.  

The main focus of the WG was as follows:

  • analyzing the growing and changing role energy regulators play in protecting consumer interests
  • analyzing consumer protection related issues (complaint handling, dispute settlement, conditions of typical regulated supply contracts, approval of business conduct rules of DSOs and suppliers)
  • consumer education and empowering consumers
  • non-payment related issues
  • affordability, social tariff, vulnerable consumers (identification and support)
  • connecting condition of end-users to the grid
  • metering and payment (settlement) related issues
  • consumer choices on retail market
  • supply quality measurements
  • demand respond of small consumers
  • smart metering issues
  • universal service

The Working Group ceased its operation in 2020.


Materials

Papers prepared by the Customers and Retail Markets Working Group:

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Martinoski, Martin:
Market Monitoring Report on Electricity Retail Market Functioning in 9 ERRA Member Countries 2018

  2020

The Report is based on a sample of 9 members’ input and give insights on consumption, pricing and competition in a comprehensive and targeted manner. The analysis elaborates on a number of important indicators, inter alia:

  • Total sale of electricity
  • Weighted average monthly electricity consumption
  • Number of active utilities
  • Market shares
  • Switching rates

Author: Martin MARTINOSKI, MBA – Vice-Chairman, ERRA CRM WG; Head of Department for Monitoring, Investigations and Misdemeanour, Energy and Water Services Regulatory Commission, North Macedonia

    
 
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Tatar, Romulus:
Benchmark Analysis: The Procedure Applied by the NRA for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Mechanisms

  2020

The analysis was developed based on the answers received from NRA representatives from 9 ERRA member countries to a questionnaire consisting of two parts:

  • The first part includes general information about ADR procedure applied in a given country.
  • The second part describes all steps of the ADR procedure applied by the NRA.

Author: Romulus TATAR – Electricity Price Department, Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), Romania

    
 
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Martinoski, Martin:
Market Monitoring Report on Electricity Retail Market Functioning in 10 ERRA Member Countries 2017

   2019

The analysis is prepared based on the answers of 10 ERRA members and aims to detect relevant comparisons regarding electricity retail market features, switching behavior, regulation of end-user prices and household electricity prices.

Author: Martin MARTINOSKI, MBA – Vice-Chairman, ERRA CRM WG; Head of Energy Markets Monitoring Department, Energy and Water Services Regulatory Commission, North Macedonia

    

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Tatar, Romulus:
Benchmark Analysis: Elements, steps and time-frame of the switching process in electricity market. Handling payment obligations during the switching process.

  2018

12 ERRA member organisations provided data based on a questionnaire. The aim of the Benchmark Analysis was to collect information about:

  • how a customer can switch from a supplier to a new one;
  • steps that a customer should take in order to change a supplier;
  • how the payment obligations are solved during the switching process and/or after the switching process is closed (Different methods and legal requirements how the consumers should handle the remaining bill during the switching process – crediting or full payment before switching).

The document contains detailed flowcharts of the switching process by countries.

Author: Romulus TATAR – Head of Electricity Prices, Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), Romania

    

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Martinoski, Martin:
Benchmark Analysis on Suppliers with Public Service Obligations

  2017

The analysis was developed based on the answers received from NRA representatives from 12 ERRA member countries covering both electricity and gas retail markets:

  1. State of Market Liberalization   
  2. Types and Features of Suppliers with Public Service Obligation  
  3. Type of institution in charge for issuing licenses for the Suppliers with Public Service Obligation
  4. Process of designating Public Service Obligation           
  5. Setting retail prices of the Supplier with Public Service Obligations         
  6. Comparing retail prices of the Supplier with Public Service Obligations with market based prices
  7. Circumstances which are activating SoLR functions    

Author: Martin MARTINOSKI, MBA – Head of Energy Markets Monitoring Department, Energy Regulatory Commission, Macedonia

    
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Bergmane, Elza; Civak Erdas, Dilek:
Benchmark Analysis: Dispute Settlement Practice and Complaint Handling Procedures in ERRA Countries

   2016

The Paper aims to provide information on different understandings of dispute settlement and complaint handling procedures in ERRA countries, to compare the competencies of the national regulatory authority and other authorities regarding dispute settlement and complaint handling.

The Analysis was prepared based on information collected from 16 member organizations.

Authors:

  • Ms. Elza BERGMANE – Senior Lawyer, Energy Division of Legal Department, Public Utilities Commission (PUC) of Latvia
  • Ms. Dilek CIVAK ERDAS – Energy Expert, Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) of Turkey
    

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Tatar, Romulus:
Benchmark Analysis: Different Practices in Identifying, Categorizing and Supporting Vulnerable Consumers in ERRA Member Countries

    2015

The aim of the Benchmark Analysis is to collect and analyze the different definitions describing the category of vulnerable consumers with a special focus on different supporting methods (financial and non-financial support schemes) among ERRA countries.

For data collection a questionnaire was prepared and distributed among Working Group Members, 14 Members provided information for the analysis.

Prepared by: Romulus TATAR – Expert, Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE)
Edited by: Zsuzsanna ÁGH – Legal Advisor, Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority (HEA)

    

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Tatar, Romulus:
Benchmark Analysis: Legal Background and Regulatory Practices Handling Illegal Electricity Consumption in ERRA Member Countries

  2015

The aim of the Benchmark Analysis is to collect different legal procedures and statutory power of the regulators handling illegal consumption. Analyzing typical behavior of license holders to discover and eliminate of such consumption.

For data collection a questionnaire was prepared and distributed among Working Group Members, 17 Members provided information for the analysis.

The document contains the logical scheme of identification, corrective measures and consequences of illegal electricity consumption.

Author: Romulus TATAR – Expert, Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE)

    

 


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