The Future of Billing in European Retail Energy Markets

Introduction

With increased attention on energy billing from European regulators and energy focus groups, and in a time of growing inflation, there is an opportunity to ensure that consumers are protected, that suppliers are educating customers about their consumption levels to encourage energy efficiency, and that enough information is provided in a clear manner to allow consumers to assess their deals

Features and benefits

* A summary of billing practices across Europe, including billing frequency and which elements of bills are regulated in different markets
* Insight into billing channel, frequency, format, and the marketing opportunity that billing provides

Highlights

The European billing landscape needs refreshing to ensure that it is ready for future changes, including increased competition, and the imminent adoption of smart metering throughout Europe
A new generation of billing systems is allowing suppliers to explore new and innovative means of bill delivery. With some suppliers now offering online billing and billing via smartphone apps, there is a vast gulf between the leaders and the laggards

Your key questions answered

* What opportunities do new technologies provide in online billing and account management?
* What impact will smart metering have on estimated bills?
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OVERVIEW
Catalyst
Summary
BILLING CHANNEL
The days of paper billing are numbered
Consumer attitudes to online billing
BILLING FREQUENCY
Annual billing is too common to ensure true competition in European markets
Annual billing in Europe
Suppliers need to develop more flexibility in their billing as customers become more demanding
Consumers are becoming more aware of industry standards, thanks in part to price comparison sites
Annual billing: a poor fit for Europe's large rental market?
European regulators would prefer to see a full adoption of monthly billing
BILLING FORMAT
Billing confuses consumers: the simpler the better
Billing format in Europe
Suppliers face a tough challenge in terms of offering simple information
Bills need not be complicated
Complicated bills: the antithesis to transparency and honesty?
How regulators hope to reconcile these inconsistencies
BILLING MARKETING
Junk mail sent with complicated bills is not the ideal channel through which to build a brand
The temptation to leverage the billing contact with blanket marketing material is one best resisted
Consumers do not like pressure-selling, despite being very susceptible to it
Exposure remains a key driver of customer retention
BILLING ACCURACY
Europe has too little bill validation to ensure suppliers bill fairly
Billing accuracy in Europe
Cost to serve increases greatly with every meter reading
Meter readings allow for accurate and manageable bills
Estimated readings: are these legitimate practices in a mature market?
Smart metering is the future as far as regulators are concerned
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUPPLIERS
Online billing is not just a temporary solution
Online billing
Smart meters
APPENDIX
References
Ask the analyst
Datamonitor consulting
Disclaimer
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