Management of impacts, risks and opportunities

S4-1 – Concepts related to consumers and end users

Customer experience and digitalisation

Access to (high-quality) information; access to products and services

Contents: In the “LOOP” strategy and organisation project, the focus was on customer experience and digitalisation, among other things. Customer experience here is specifically the experience that customers have when they interact with a company.

General objectives: The strategic objective is to significantly improve the customer experience through digitalisation and simplification across the entire customer journey, i.e. in all phases of the purchasing process, particularly in the B2C sector.

Material impacts, risks and opportunities:

Also see ESRS 2, SBM-3 – Material impacts, risks and opportunities and their interaction with the strategy and business model.

Monitoring process: A cross-departmental project team with employees from the Group Strategy, Vertrieb GmbH and Services und Digital Solutions GmbH Group units has developed a specific management action plan to achieve a digitally optimised customer experience. In addition to “quick wins”, this also includes medium to long-term IT infrastructure adaptations. The project team monitored the implementation of the actions and their progress towards achieving the strategic ambitions using weekly and fortnightly reviews. In addition, the Management Board was provided with a status update in the context of the “LOOP” steering committees.

Scope: This Group-wide strategic direction applies to all Austrian customers of Energie AG.

Responsibilities: Organisational integration is complete. The project team handed over the finalised management agenda to the head of the new Customer Experience department at Vertrieb GmbH.

Stakeholder involvement: A detailed analysis of the customer journey was carried out to ensure that the customer’s interests are at the heart of strategic planning and the resulting actions. Customers were also directly involved through surveys. The result of the analysis was a multi-dimensional approach to optimising the status quo. Specifically, the following strategic and conceptional principles were defined:

• Energie AG takes a radical approach to the customer journey and pursues a comprehensive customer experience concept.
• Customers particularly value having multiple channels available throughout the customer journey, especially at the beginning and end.
• Digital channels are particularly important and should be prioritised, especially for ongoing customer support after the contract has been signed.
• Self-service features and simplifying tariff structures must be continuously refined.
• Performance along the customer journey must be/become measurable.

In many cases, the key to an optimal customer experience is a high-quality data basis, interoperability between systems, tools, (digital and analogue) customer interfaces and data sources, as well as seamless integration of contact points between companies and customers.

Information security management

Access to (high-quality) information; access to products and services

Contents: The “ICT Information Security Management” Group Policy regulates information security management at Group level for the risk-appropriate protection of electronic business information. It includes the strategic objectives, principles and the functional and structural organisation of information security management.

General objectives: The objective is to establish a risk-appropriate and legally compliant information security procedure in the economic and legal interests of the Group, which must be implemented by operational management.

Information security management includes: compliance with the specific legal responsibilities of the Management Board and the managing directors of the Group companies; the specific protection of personal data and consequently employee and customer privacy, as well as the legally compliant use of information and data; the recording and risk-adequate management of information security risks and the resulting ISM risk report by the Controlling and Risk Management holding unit for the owners and other stakeholders; the requirements for stable and secure ICT operations by the ICT service partners (ISPs); the appropriate management and monitoring of external ICT service providers; requirements and actions for managing ICT outages and ICT emergencies in a coordinated manner and defining suitable solutions for recovery and restarting; awareness of all ICT users of information security and the associated measures, facilities and resulting difficulties; an information security management system in accordance with ISO 27001; the foundations for any individual certification of information security (in particular in accordance with ISO 27001); in summary, safeguarding the associated quality, stability, continuity and added value of information management in the Group companies.

Material impacts, risks and opportunities:

Also see ESRS 2, SBM-3 – Material impacts, risks and opportunities and their interaction with the strategy and business model.

Monitoring processes: To monitor the effectiveness of information security management, an annual audit report is produced in consultation with the operational ICT units and Group Internal Audit, which combines internal and external audits based on the threat situation.

Scope: The regulations defined in the Group policy apply to the entire Energie AG Group.

Responsibilities: Managing directors of the Group companies and holding company managers are responsible for operational implementation. The Management Board bears the ultimate and overall responsibility for information security.

Third-party standards and initiatives: Information security management in the Group is based on COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies) and ISO 27001.

Stakeholder involvement: The Group policy takes into account the Energie AG Group’s strategy and was agreed with the Management Board, the holding company, the business and service units and the employee representatives when it was drawn up and also during planned revisions.

Implementation support: The Group policy is a framework policy and the ISM manual contains more detailed operational regulations to support the implementation of the policy. Both documents are available on the intranet. In addition, the Group-wide awareness campaign “Schlaufuchs” regularly informs users about the risks and dangers related to information security and offers yearly (electronic) training programmes.

Security of supply and waste management

Access to products and services
GRI EU-DMA Management approach to ensure short and long-term electricity availability and reliability

Contents: Energie AG’s “Security in supply and waste management” policy is focused on ensuring continuous and reliable access to products and services for all customers, regardless of their social background or the specific products and services they use.

General objectives: This policy is guided by the following key factors and general goals:

Customer-focused approach: Energie AG Group stands for high-quality, reliable products and services, which it continuously and consistently adapts to the needs and preferences of existing and potential customers.

Resilience in times of crisis: The unconditional assurance of security in supply and waste management, including under extraordinary conditions (energy market turbulence, threat of supply shortages on the energy market and in the supply chain, dramatic price increases on the wholesale markets, severe weather events), and the ensuing strengthening of the Company’s resilience are among the top priorities of Energie AG Group.

Material impacts, risks and opportunities:

Also see ESRS 2, SBM-3 – Material impacts, risks and opportunities and their interaction with the strategy and business model.

Monitoring processes: see Sector-specific disclosures for energy utilities

Scope: The Group-wide “Security in supply and waste management” policy applies to all Energie AG products and services and therefore includes all customers in Energie AG’s supply and waste management areas. Specifically, this includes the following of Energie AG’s business activities, in particular the operation of critical infrastructure: Trading, power plants, electricity and gas grids and heating networks, telecommunications and fibre-optic networks, water supply and wastewater management, waste management as well as e-mobility and energy services.

Responsibilities: The Management Board and the managing directors of Energie AG’s business and service units are responsible for implementing the policy.

Implementation support: Since the 2017/2018 fiscal year, Energie AG has published information on “Security in supply and waste management” in its annual non-financial report.

S4-2 – Processes for engaging with consumers and end users about impacts

Market studies

The “Loyalty and Satisfaction” market study is conducted annually by an external partner, analysed anonymously and aggregated in a corresponding report. It is a representative study. The interviews are conducted directly with the target persons, who are primarily in Upper Austria, by telephone. The results facilitate an assessment of the current status, allow a comparison with past data and provide a basis for assessing the further development of the company in terms of customer satisfaction and loyalty. The majority of customers of Vertrieb GmbH continue to exhibit a high loyalty. 89% of them, for example, are very satisfied or rather satisfied with the sales unit (previous year: 83.4%). The results were then presented at various meetings/consultations, raising awareness of the current status quo. Possible actions were evaluated. Regular market studies and customer surveys serve as a due diligence measure to ensure the satisfaction of a wide range of target groups. The Group Communications holding unit and Vertrieb GmbH are responsible for incorporating the results into the company concept. The relevant matters are being addressed in sales planning and these actions are expected to have a positive impact on the next survey.

The “Image study (reference measurement)” market study was conducted in September 2023 by an external partner, analysed anonymously and aggregated in a corresponding report. The target persons were interviewed directly online and by telephone. The study was carried out in Austria, primarily in Upper Austria. The results facilitate an assessment of the current status and will serve as a reference of the external perception of the company’s future progress towards sustainability and climate action in accordance with the new strategy. The results were then presented at various meetings and consultations within the Group in the following months, raising awareness of the current status quo. The target persons are expected to be surveyed every third year. These are representative studies. The issues considered in the survey included the following: Combating energy poverty, diversity initiatives, inclusion and diversity initiatives in the workplace and inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace. The Group Communications and Group Strategy holding units and Vertrieb GmbH are responsible for incorporating the results into the corporate concept. As part of the communication and implementation of the “LOOP” strategy and organisation project, the relevant matters are being addressed and these actions are expected to have a positive impact on the next survey.

Customer forum

Since the introduction of the customer forum, Energie AG has collected valuable feedback from electricity, gas and internet customers on offers and services as well as customer opinions on current themes and general conditions. The customer forum is also used to share first-hand information and provide expert insights in the form of specialised discussions. Discussions with customers include professional moderation and the involvement of relevant Energie AG employees to ensure feedback is applied directly to day-to-day working situations. The direct involvement of customers in strategy and development processes is intended to contribute to products and services that are even more in line with the interests and requirements of the different target groups. This allows the company to react quickly and flexibly to any negative impacts that arise and to take corrective action.

Lastly, the next steps to be taken are discussed in the customer forum, seeking a common consensus. The customer feedback, the next steps and the documented process are then distributed to all participants and the management of Vertrieb GmbH in the form of a meeting report. The most important information from the customer forum is also distributed in the customer forum newsletter.

The invitation to participate in the customer forum was sent out to Energie AG’s electricity, gas and internet customers for the first time in 2019. This resulted in two pools of data:

• Approx. 200 customers who want to receive the customer forum newsletter (information about the customer forum, survey to find topics for the next customer forum).
• Approx. 20 customers who are invited to discussion panels twice a year at a specified Energie AG venue.

Participants are selected at random from the customer registrations for the customer forum. This is not a representative selection of customers. Public accessibility is considered as a criterion when selecting the venue.

The customer forum takes place twice a year: in autumn and spring. The Marketing department of Vertrieb GmbH is responsible for implementing the event (communication, organisation, moderation). The Private and Commercial Customers department is responsible for the content. The management of Vertrieb GmbH is involved in the customer forum.

Customer satisfaction surveys

Netz OÖ GmbH for gas grid operators: As a member of the Austrian Association for Gas and Water (ÖVGW), Netz OÖ GmbH also participates in the association’s annual customer satisfaction analysis. All major gas distribution grid operators are members of the association and it carries out a comprehensive customer survey. All general satisfaction values are surveyed through a representative customer sample. The result can be viewed either as an overall result or individually. Individual questions can also be asked in the survey. These are used by Netz OÖ GmbH to collect data on customer wishes and views on general energy topics related to the legally defined duties of the grid operator. The results are then presented to the management and published on the Netz OÖ GmbH website. The Austrian Association for Gas and Water (ÖVGW) is responsible for operational implementation.

Waste Management Segment: Business customers’ contact persons are interviewed directly. The survey is conducted monthly. The customers of a different Umwelt Service GmbH location are surveyed every month in accordance with an annual plan. Umwelt Service GmbH’s Sales Management has organisational responsibility for this process. In operational terms, the Sales Service department is responsible for conducting the survey. The individual responses to the customer satisfaction survey are recorded as raw data in an online tool and processed by the Sales Service department for the group of recipients specified by Sales Management.

Czech Republic Segment: Energie AG runs a comment portal on the websites of the Czech water supply companies, through which stakeholders involved in construction procedures can submit comments on existing water supply networks, on investors’ plans, on project documents for the planning approval procedure (planning permission) and for the construction procedure (building notification), on development plans and on changes to the water supply, sewerage connections or water metering systems directly. Comments can also be submitted in person at the customer centre or in writing. Requests for comments on existing infrastructure for the purposes of the construction process are generally received and transmitted by the district heating companies by email or using a data box. The opinion portal is available continuously on the Czech water companies’ websites and the information provided is updated to reflect current projects. Each water company has defined a responsible person who receives the comments submitted through the portal. This person reports to the company’s Management Board/management.

S4-3 – Processes to remediate negative impacts and channels for consumers and end users to raise concerns

Energy Segment and Grid Segment: Customers of the electricity, gas, fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and heat (network and sales) sectors can voice their concerns and express their needs using the service hotline or by contacting the service email address, as well as in person at the customer office in Linz. These are channels set up by Energie AG. Energie AG ensures that telephone enquiries are handled by its service employees. Developments on the energy market over the past few years have led to a massive rise in customer enquiries, with various tools (e.g. Voicebot) being used to process these as effectively as possible. Simple enquiries are handled automatically using artificial intelligence. An additional intelligent “peak management” allows for calls to be rescheduled to less busy times of the day. This increases the availability for the customers and in turn also their satisfaction with the Company.

Channel availability is supported by: Ensuring system availability (telephone system and email inboxes) by the IT and Digitalisation department and ensuring accessibility through IT-supported real-time call control in the call centre. In the event of failures, which cause a substantial increase in calls from those affected within a very short period of time, calls need to be answered and processed quickly. A flexible on-call service model for the customer service employees and a suitable infrastructure (remote work) enable an improved handling of unexpected or high call volumes.

The telephone numbers for the Grid and Sales service hotline as well as the relevant email addresses can be found in the customer portal, on customer letters and on the Energie AG and Netz OÖ GmbH websites. The opening hours for the customer office can also be found on the Energie AG website. To protect customer privacy and data, appropriate data protection guidelines have been established and communicated to the customer service team, and employees receive regular training on the subject. In the 2023/2024 fiscal year, 17,972 concerns and complaints were received by Vertrieb GmbH and 3,184 by Netz OÖ GmbH.

Every customer concern is documented in the Customer Relationship Management System (CRM system) as a (complaint) contact. If changes to customer data or products are requested, these will be carried out by either the first or second level service team. The corresponding tasks are recorded and documented in the CRM system. The effectiveness of complaint management, the channels provided and the remedial actions are assessed using a customer satisfaction survey.

The customer service department’s quality management team analyses contacts on a monthly basis alongside the complaints management team, assesses the issues and identifies possible courses of action. As part of customer campaigns, the Customer Services Quality Management team specifically analyses complaints from affected customers in order to forward potential for improvements directly to Campaign Management and internal departments. If technical changes need to be made to the CRM system, the requirements are defined and passed on to the IT and Digitalisation department for implementation. The number of complaints in Austria and the handling thereof are reported to the Management Board of the Energie AG Group in the course of the quarterly general meetings of the Grid business unit and Sales unit.

Czech Republic Segment: Customers of Czech companies are able to communicate their concerns and needs directly. In the heating sector, customers such as housing cooperatives and owners’ associations can submit grievances by email or directly to the local customer centre.

Complaints can be made directly to the water companies in person, by telephone and email or by letter. Contact details can be found on the websites of the respective companies. Customers of most water companies can register a complaint using a form on the customer portal.

ČEVAK a.s. ensures the availability of customer portals and websites by providing regular maintenance and IT support. For customers who do not have Internet access, personal support in local customer centres guarantees availability.

In the Czech Republic, both Energie AG’s water and heating companies fulfil their legal obligations. All customer invoices must therefore contain the relevant contact details that customers can contact in the event of any complaints (regarding billing). The company’s headquarters and contact persons as well as any public institutions where customers can obtain information must be listed. All contact details and an email address for complaints are available on the respective websites.

Every Czech water company has a Complaints Procedure and an additional internal policy outlining the process. As these companies are decentralised, each company has its own documentation. Every complaint received by a water company must be handled within the statutory period of 30 days and therefore is forwarded to the responsible person in the respective company.

All grievances are entered in the incoming mail record. Each company has a responsible person (known as the guarantor) who is responsible for handling the grievance. Depending on the nature of the complaint, the guarantor will forward this complaint to other responsible departments. The guarantor monitors the process to ensure that all complaints are handled in a timely manner and the outcome is communicated to the customer. For complaints regarding water meter readings, customers are directly involved in the complaint resolution process, as ongoing communication is required. If a complaint relating to a significant violation of drinking water quality (due to an accident/disruption) is received, the management of ENERGIE AG BOHEMIA s.r.o. (and the competent authorities) will be informed.

Waste Management Segment: In addition to the regular surveys, the following contact options are available to customers: Telephone, email, a contact form on the Containerdienst24 and Entsorgungsdienst24 websites as well as other Umwelt Service GmbH websites and the Energie AG homepage. Customers of Umwelt Service GmbH are sent surveys by email via an online tool where they can answer questions explicitly and also provide comments. Customers can use the online tool to express their concerns at any time. Customers can obtain information at any time and also request ISO certificates 9001 etc. if required. If the feedback is negative, an external complaint is recorded in the CRM software. The actions taken in connection with this are documented in the complaint. The negative feedback received and the actions documented in the complaint are monitored at random. Effectiveness is also monitored as part of internal and external audits in accordance with ISO 9001.

S4-4 – Taking action on material impacts on consumers and end users, and approaches to managing material risks and pursuing material opportunities related to consumers and end-users, and effectiveness of those actions

Legally required information and supply obligations: Energie AG fulfils its legal obligations to provide information to its customers. These include the EU General Data Protection Regulation in accordance with Articles 12, 13 and 14 and, in Austria, § 76a of the Electricity Industry and Organisation Act (ElWOG), § 123a of the Gas Industry Act (GWG) and § 135 of the Telecommunications Act (TKG), as well as the obligation to prepare consolidated financial statements that are publicly accessible to all customers. The regulatory authority will be notified of the general terms and conditions in compliance with the legal requirements (§ 80 ElWOG and § 125 GWG) before the conditions come into force. Customers can find these freely accessible on the Energie AG website. In the electricity and gas sector, there is an obligation to provide basic supply in accordance with the applicable general terms and conditions and the general tariff for basic supply pursuant to § 77 ElWOG and § 124 GWG.

Energie AG is implementing and planning a range of actions above and beyond the legal requirements to promote access to products and services as well as access to (high-quality) information for all customers. Because of its business models, Energie AG considers actions supporting the security of supply and waste management to be particularly important.

For example, appropriate actions to respond to potential and actual negative impacts on customers can be formulated and reviewed using the established complaints management procedures (see S4-3) and customer involvement procedures (see S4-2) as well as cross-departmental processes and dialogue within the Energie AG Group.

Target group-specific information

Access to (high-quality) information

Contents: Energie AG makes target group-specific information available via a number of different channels and presents it in a way that is as easy to understand as possible. This includes the Group annual report, the Group website and websites of individual Group companies, the digital customer magazine, the press portal, the blog and social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) with answers and explanations of information for customers are provided in template form on the Group website and also by Energie AG’s customer service.

Scope: Austrian electricity and gas customers are covered by the described actions.

Monitoring and assessment: To improve the information provided to customers, reviews are also carried out at regular intervals in the form of cross-departmental dialogue. For example, the FAQs are checked and adapted or expanded if necessary.

Timescale: The actions are being implemented on an ongoing basis.

Checking the Group website for accessibility

Access to (high-quality) information; access to products and services

Contents and scope: A recent accessibility check of the Group website was carried out using the accessibility checker tool and the results were mapped to the “Web Content Accessibility Guidelines” (WACG) 2.0. The review using the guidelines was carried out at level 1: A according to WCAG 2.0. The results of this test show that principle 1 according to WCAG 2.0 (perceptibility) is not or only partially fulfilled, while principles 2 – 4 according to WCAG 2.0 (usability, comprehensibility and robustness) are fulfilled.

Monitoring and assessment: The results of these checks are used for the ongoing optimisation of the accessibility of the Group website.

Timescale: The Group website was checked for accessibility in the 2023/2024 fiscal year.

Events connected to the energy transition

Access to (high-quality) information

Contents: Energie AG’s presence at events allows it to communicate directly with its customers on issues such as energy efficiency and renewable energy. In addition to providing advice on current product and service offerings, discussions also focus on current issues and customer-focused matters.

Scope: The annual Energy Saving Trade Fair in Wels is a particularly important trade fair for Energie AG. Energie AG consultants are available to assist visitors at the trade fair stand. At the Energy Saving Academy, which was introduced in 2023, experts gave presentations on such subjects as PV plants, e-mobility, heat pumps and the efficient use of energy right at the stand.

Monitoring and assessment: After the trade fair, customer feedback is collected in a comprehensive debriefing by the core team and included in the final presentation. This is used both for comparison with the previous year and as a basis for future improvements. This systematic assessment is then made available to all sales employees, team leaders and the management of Vertrieb GmbH.

Progress: The progress of the consultations at the Energy Saving Trade Fair is monitored. Over the three days open to the public in the 2023/2024 fiscal year, some 2,400 consultations were held at the Energie AG stand (compared to 2,500 in the previous year). The Energy Saving Academy attracted a great deal of interest, with more than 400 guests attending over the three days.

Timescale: The events are organised as required.

Customer portals

Access to (high-quality) information; access to products and services

To ensure the highest level of data security, all customer service processes and services are implemented in accordance with strict data protection and information security requirements. Compliance with these requirements is ensured by carrying out appropriate tests and obtaining regular company certifications.

Vertrieb GmbH customer portal

Contents: The customer portal (e-portal) allows customers to access information such as electricity consumption, view online bills, switch products and adjust instalment amounts as well as billing and bank details with just a few clicks. The e-portal offers direct access to the “Mein Bonus” (“My Bonus”) customer club. This customer club is exclusively accessible to Energie AG customers. A monthly newsletter with the latest offers is sent to members of the customer club.

Scope: All customers of Vertrieb GmbH can access the e-portal, provided they have an electronic device with internet access (e.g. smartphone, tablet, laptop). The customer’s customer number, the account number and a valid email address are required for registration. The e-portal is available in German.

Monitoring and assessment: Customers are able to report errors to customer service, which will then be forwarded to the e-portal team and remedied by them.

Awareness of the additional products and services (e.g. the e-portal) and contact with Energie AG (information via the e-portal) was surveyed as part of the market study “Customer types/loyalty 2024”, see Market studies.

Website traffic is analysed and other analyses of activity (e.g. how many changes of product were made, how often invoices were viewed and how often bank details were changed; how many people logged in) are collected as required.

Progress: The e-portal is subject to continuous maintenance and further development to improve user-friendliness and clarity.

The “Mein Bonus” customer club recorded growth in the reporting period and is now used by 40,371 participants (previous year: 29,171).

Timescale: The e-portal and the customer club are permanently available to customers.

Netz OÖ GmbH customer portal

Contents: All Netz OÖ GmbH customers can use the customer portal to access information about their grid connection and consumption online.

Plans are currently in place to revise the customer portal and expand it to create a central point of contact for all customer-relevant grid issues. The aim is to ensure maximum transparency, convenience for customers and the associated trust in the grid operator. The plan is to use an automated mailbox system to inform customers well in advance of planned construction work in their supply region and to provide other information relevant to customers. Grid customers who prefer analogue communication will still be contacted by post.

Scope: The e-Service customer portal is available to all Netz OÖ GmbH customers.

Monitoring and assessment: The ongoing development will also allow individual KPIs to be used to draw much more detailed conclusions than before about the use and therefore the acceptance of the customer portal by customers.

Progress: Significant improvements to the customer portal were implemented in the past fiscal year. Customers can now access preliminary information on the connection of PV systems for the respective location of the system (“feed-in traffic light”) and register or deregister a micro-generation system (“balcony power plant”) with just a few mouse clicks.

Timescale: The customer portal has existed since the 2010/2011 fiscal year, is always available to customers and is currently being updated to make it even more intuitive and customer-friendly.

Waste Management Segment customer portal

Contents and scope: Entsorgung24.at was developed to handle ongoing orders from existing corporate customers of Umwelt Service GmbH among other things. Customers can order waste management services directly via the customer portal at any time and view all relevant documents (invoices, weighing slips, service certificates, etc.) online. Containerdienst24.at is primarily intended to enable one-time customers of Umwelt Service GmbH to order containers for clearing out bulky refuse, gardening waste or construction rubble throughout Austria.

Monitoring and assessment: Customers can use the contact form to give feedback on the service provided at any time. Customer satisfaction in the 2023/2024 fiscal year was 4.9 out of a maximum of 5.0 points. Additionally, regional contact persons are available for direct customer contact. Umwelt Service GmbH’s Sales Management has organisational responsibility for this process. In operational terms, the Sales Service department of Umwelt Service GmbH is responsible for operating the customer portal. The key figures are reported monthly.

Timescale: The customer portals are available at any time.

Czech Republic Segment customer portal

Contents: Water companies in the Czech Republic publish useful information for their customers on their websites, for example the water and wastewater charges for each local authority; the method of calculating water and wastewater charges in accordance with the applicable legislation; the quality of drinking water, including laboratory analyses; planned closures or ongoing water infrastructure disruptions. Customers can also set up a customer account on these websites, which they can use to contact the company and make individual requests (contract changes, payments, billing, meter reading). If a smart water meter is installed, these customers can view an overview of their current drinking water consumption on their smartphone and also activate warnings in emergency situations (water leaks).

Scope: Customers of water companies in the Czech Republic are contractual partners such as cities, municipalities, households, residential buildings (via the Association of Housing Developers), businesses and industry.

Monitoring and assessment: The effectiveness of the action as a whole is gauged by the number of customers registered to the customer portal.

Timescale: The information provided is accessible at all times and is updated regularly.

Security of supply

GRI EU-DMA Management approach to ensure short and long-term electricity availability and reliability

Social affairs

Access to products and services

Contents: Energie AG offers a variety of programmes and initiatives to support its customers in Austria, such as a solidarity fund, an emergency assistance fund to help low-income households cope with their energy costs and advisory initiatives regarding energy efficiency.

These actions were taken to support customers in need as a result of the energy crisis. Special arrangements (e.g. a moratorium on electricity disconnections, the option to defer due payments, payment in instalments, actions for emergency assistance) are intended to provide customers with targeted relief and support.

• Debt waiver: The emergency assistance fund enables the company to support customers experiencing difficulties with payments of EUR 100.00 per fiscal year for each division (electricity and gas) and each customer.
• Moratorium on disconnection: From 1 December 2023 to 31 March 2024, no disconnections occurred as a result of late payment in order to support customers, particularly during the winter heating season.

Scope: The solidarity fund is provided by Energie AG; it is distributed to customers affected by energy poverty by the Austrian Chamber of Labour in cooperation with social services centres.

Monitoring and assessment: The effectiveness of the actions taken can be monitored and assessed using the annual satisfaction analysis and measured by the extent to which the funds are used. The amount in the solidarity and emergency assistance fund and its use is reported to the management of Vertrieb GmbH on a monthly basis. The market study “Customer types/loyalty 2024”, see Market studies, includes an image survey. Additionally, electricity and gas supply and demand data for households, businesses and the agricultural sector are collected weekly using metering points and sent to the head of department for private and commercial customers as well as the team leaders and the management of Vertrieb GmbH.

Timescale: The solidarity fund, the emergency assistance fund and the disconnection moratorium will be available until further notice. The amount of the funds and the period during which the disconnection moratorium is in force may vary from one fiscal year to the next.

Emergency and crisis management

Access to products and services

Contents: Energie AG has had a defined crisis management system in place for around 20 years. This system was established at the time mainly to address infrastructural crisis situations and was part of Netz OÖ GmbH. Standards developed since then regulate and standardise the terminology used, organisational structures and processes, interfaces, etc., promoting intra-organisation cooperation. A separate unit was therefore set up at Energie AG level (in the Technical Management holding unit) for the new and further development of a Group-wide emergency and crisis management system. In the future, the Group-wide ECMS of Energie AG will pursue several overarching objectives:

• Systematically reducing the probability of emergency and crisis situations occurring through appropriate preparation, training, analyses, etc.
• Systematically reducing the impact of potential emergency and crisis situations by planning responses to possible scenarios in advance, developing standard operating procedures (SOPs), regular drills, etc.
• Switching back from emergency or crisis mode to standard mode as quickly as possible.
• Systematic learning from drills and past events as part of a continuous improvement process.

Expected outcomes: Ideally, emergency and crisis situations will not occur, for example due to preventive actions. If an incident occurs, the impacts will be minimised by reacting appropriately. The professional emergency and crisis management system allows Energie AG to return to normal operations as quickly as possible.

Scope: In future, the Group ECMS will be a comprehensive standard in emergency and crisis management for all organisational units and will therefore apply to all stakeholders in all supply areas and for all of Energie AG’s business areas in terms of the aspects mentioned above.

Monitoring and assessment: The effectiveness of the ECMS is reviewed in regular training sessions and drills and is continuously being improved through a continuous improvement process.

Progress: A separate Group Emergency and Crisis Management Officer role was created at Energie AG (Technical Management holding unit). A report on crisis management with defined implementation dates for 22 actions was prepared by the Group Internal Audit holding unit.

In the future, the Group-wide ECMS will ensure compliance with norms, standards and future legal requirements regarding crisis management, including ÖNORM EN ISO 22361, ÖNORM D 490x standards (focus on D 4902-3), ÖNORM EN ISO 22301, ÖNORM EN ISO 22313, EU Directive RCF (resilience of critical facilities).

The Group ECMS is designed to avoid or reduce the negative impacts of emergencies and crisis situations. The following objectives have been defined:

• Preparation for crises (= preventive emergency and crisis management): Creating the organisational prerequisites for dealing with crisis situations; training crisis team members and creating the necessary crisis awareness.
• In crisis situations (= defensive emergency and crisis management): Enabling swift action to minimise any damage resulting from these events; ensuring cooperation with authorities and emergency organisations; providing swift, comprehensive, truthful information to authorities, employees and, where necessary, their relatives, the media, the public, customers, shareholders and other affected persons and ensuring reliable communication with Group management, the crisis management team, the location of the incident and with defined bodies within the Group in accordance with the crisis management plan.

Coordination with the competent authorities, emergency and blue light organisations, other energy supply companies and other relevant bodies (e.g. civil defence association) occurs as needed in all phases.

The availability of an effective Group-wide ECMS is achieved through: Preparatory planning (e.g. for specific scenarios such as energy disruption, pandemic, cyber-attack); regular training; regular drills; incorporating relevant findings into the Group ECMS in the form of a continuous improvement process.

Use of resources: To ensure the effectiveness of the Group-wide ECMS, a separate unit was created at Energie AG (Technical Management holding unit) that is exclusively responsible for the Group ECMS. The budget will also include a separate item for the Group ECMS from the next fiscal year. If necessary, the Group ECMS can also access any of the Group’s resources. In the future, users of the ECMS will have a variety of options for familiarising themselves with the ECMS actions. These include a Group policy, emergency plans, the Group crisis management plan, training courses, drills and communication on the intranet.

Timescale: Emergency and crisis management is a continuous process.

Electricity and gas procurement strategy

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Contents: In the area of energy procurement, the external electricity and gas volumes needed for customers as well as electricity and heat production are secured in advance through long-term transactions on stock exchanges and OTC markets. Thanks to short-term and long-term usage rights to gas storage facilities, fluctuations between supply and demand are balanced out beyond the legal storage requirements. These operational measures are strategically underpinned by the significantly accelerated expansion of renewable energy sources and thus greater self-sufficiency. Energie AG strives to diversify its procurement portfolio to the greatest possible extent in order to minimise energy procurement risks. Storage for protected customers, in particular household customers and essential social services, as well as gas procurement for the “Natural Gas Loyal” bulk customer tariff is carried out by purchasing natural gas from non-Russian sources.

In accordance with § 121 of the Gas Industry Act (GWG) and the SOS Regulation (EU Regulation on actions to safeguard the security of gas supply EU 2017/1938), Energie AG guarantees the level of supply for protected customers, in particular household customers and essential social services, for the specified periods and scenarios. This is achieved by storing natural gas and other strategies. From 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2026, gas suppliers must also be able to guarantee the standard of supply for protected customers for 45 days under average winter conditions through storage volumes in accordance with § 121 (5a) GWG. If it can be demonstrated that it is possible to fulfil this obligation by injecting quantities of gas entirely from countries that are not affected by a valid sanction within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 833/2014, the obligation is reduced to a period of 30 days. Energie AG is prioritising achieving the 30-day requirement and can provide evidence of injected gas volumes from non-Russian sources through procurement contracts that reference Regulation (EU) 2022/2576. These gas supplies do not enter Europe via the entry points listed in Article 9 of Regulation (EUR) 2022/2576.

Scope: The current procurement policy establishes the long-term purchasing of electricity and gas as well as guarantees of origin. This provision covers both private customers and the business/key account customer area.

Monitoring and assessment: Energy procurement monitoring is generally carried out as a weekly report by the Portfolio Management department of Vertrieb GmbH. The key figures and disclosures are reported at the Annual General Meeting.

Timescale: The procurement policy is an ongoing action that is incorporated into Energie AG’s strategy.

Expansion of electricity storage

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Contents: To compensate for the volatility of electricity generation from sun and wind as part of a renewable future, industrial-scale storage capacity and flexibility is required. The planned pumped-storage power plant in Ebensee will have a storage capacity of 1.32 million m³ and output of 170 MW. This means the operating time to generate electricity will be 10 full-load hours. By responding to changes in demand and electricity generation with speed and flexibility, the planned power plant will deliver a major contribution to security of supply. With an investment volume of some EUR 450 million, this project is the largest single investment in the history of Energie AG. Construction work on the Ebensee pumped-storage power plant started in October 2023.

Pumped-storage power plant Ebensee

Scope and timescale: Key future storage locations have been identified in Upper Austria.

Monitoring and assessment: The effectiveness of the actions and initiatives is reviewed regularly as part of the “LOOP” strategy process and medium-term planning. Project committees etc. are held regularly. Close cooperation with universities, professional associations and project partners for the further development and structural assessment of storage capacities is ongoing.

Expansion of grid infrastructure

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Contents: The ongoing strategic medium and long-term planning for the development of the power grid is one of the grid operator’s core duties. The energy transition involving decentralised generation, battery storage, e-mobility and the heating transition currently poses a major challenge for Netz OÖ GmbH. In accordance with the regulatory regime, these developments will result in a demand-orientated expansion of the grid.

Scope: Supply quality is essential for the downstream value chain all the way to end consumers in the region. All grid users are affected by the expansion of the electricity grid infrastructure, but this is especially the case for users for whom delayed grid expansion would result in immediate restrictions on access to the grid.

Monitoring and assessment: The effectiveness of these changes in the medium term will be measured by customer satisfaction and, above all, by a comparison of the efficiency of all distribution system operators carried out by the regulatory authority.

Progress: The “Electricity Grid Master Plan Upper Austria 2032” is a voluntary programme for grid operators. Some of the projects listed in the 110-kV electricity grid master plan have been completed or are in progress.

Timescale: The electricity grid master plan is constantly being developed with a ten-year outlook.

For further information, see E1 Climate change, Electricity grid expansion.

Operational network management

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Contents: To ensure reliable operation of the grid with optimised grid capacity management, forecast and live grid security analyses are implemented on the basis of load and feed-in forecasts that are being developed. The expansion of the automation-supported grid security analysis system to include medium-voltage grids will enable grid capacities to be used more effectively in future and thus optimise the timing of all planned grid expansion measures.

The regulatory system defines clear rules for the protection of consumer rights for grid operator companies. Compliance with these regulations is checked through audits. In connection with this, particular attention must be paid to the use of data. Data protection coordinators coordinate the processing and required declarations of consent with the respective units.

Standardised processes and procedures are being established as part of internal industry projects (OU System Management 2.0, Innonet, etc.) to ensure that the actions taken are appropriate. The actions are being implemented and trialled in stages. This approach ensures that the actions achieve the desired effects (e.g. forecast quality, utilisation of operating resources, capacity utilisation, etc.).

These actions will allow customers to make use of flexibility options for dynamic grid capacity management in the future. This will give grid users the opportunity to make better use of grid capacities in future, for example by using energy management systems.

Scope: This will benefit all grid users who require additional grid access or an increase in grid connection capacity in the future. This action will provide additional time for the implementation of grid expansion projects, which will spread the grid expansion costs over the coming years due to better planning.

Monitoring and assessment: Effectiveness is measured by monitoring usage data and delivery and feed-in volumes.

Timescale: The implementation of reliable feed-in and load forecasting systems to ensure reliable grid security analyses down to the low-voltage level will be completed by approximately 2030.

Protecting the system with generation plants

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Contents: Generation plants are analysed in terms of their ability to support system stabilisation (frequency stability, voltage stability). In particular, black start capability and island operation capability for grid restoration are also tested. Black start capability refers to the ability of a power plant to resume operation without an external electricity supply and to establish a stable grid frequency. Model parameters are determined from the tests, which can be used to carry out dynamic simulations for different initial situations. This prevents weak points from being detected only in the event of a large-scale network failure.

The appropriateness of the action is recorded by the integration of the tested concepts into the Austrian grid reconstruction plan and reviewed by the regulatory authority E-Control as part of cyclical cost review procedures.

Scope: Increased security of supply has a positive impact on value chains and companies as well as end consumers.

Monitoring and assessment: The effectiveness of this action is reviewed annually with grid reconstruction simulations.

Timescale: Following the completion of the tests in the 2022/2023 fiscal year, further analyses are currently being carried out using simulations, for example for the future inclusion of the Ebensee pumped-storage power plant that is currently under construction. An island trial is being prepared for small generation plants in which compliance with TOR generation (technical and organisational regulations) will be tested in the 2024/2025 fiscal year.

Improved use of existing gas storage facilities

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Contents: The connection of the “Haidach” gas storage facility to Netz OÖ GmbH’s high-pressure gas grid provides additional injection options and allows the stored gas volumes (strategic gas reserve) to be drawn from the “Haidach” storage facility into the Austrian gas grid. This connection has also made it possible to carry out maintenance work to inspect the condition of the pipeline (known as “pigging”).

The transport capacity of the connecting pipeline between the “7Fields” gas storage facility and Netz OÖ GmbH’s high-pressure grid was increased from 350,000 Nm³/h to 600,000 Nm³/h, enabling improved use of the “7Fields” gas storage facility.

Scope: This affects the gas grid area of Netz OÖ GmbH and connected gas grid areas of third-party grid operators. The action is part of the Austria-wide emergency supply programme.

Timescale: The action was completed in the 2023/2024 fiscal year.

Leak detection and repair of water infrastructure

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Contents: In the Czech Republic, Energie AG is pursuing two different operational models on the water and wastewater management market. The operator model is defined as the public sector (cities, municipalities, communities) owning the infrastructure and outsourcing its operation by means of awarding long-term contracts (concessions, leases, leaseholds). In the asset owner model, Energie AG both operates and owns the infrastructure (VaK Beroun a.s.). Given that local authorities, for the most part, are responsible as the owners for renovating grids, Energie AG’s actions focus on locating and repairing leaks.

Scope: In 2023/2024 fiscal year, the Czech Republic Segment supplied just short of 1 million people with approx. 49.0 million m³ of drinking water (previous year: approx. 48.9 million m³) and provides wastewater management services to around 700,000 residents with around 45.6 million m³ of waste water (previous year: approx. 45.2 million m³).

Monitoring and assessment: The effectiveness of the action can be measured by the water companies using the “unit water leakage” method. In 2023, 91 supply areas were benchmarked (previous year: 90). The purpose of such assessments is to extend the process to smaller supply areas and thereby continually improve water losses in those areas.

Timescale: Leak detection and repair work is carried out continuously.

Monitoring the water supply for water losses

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Contents: Continuous monitoring of the water supply for water losses allows possible leaks to be detected at an early stage. No noteworthy water losses occur within the transport pipe network, which is owned by the WDL GmbH. The differences between the measuring points at wells or tanks and water meter chambers at the customer’s end fall within the range of the water meters’ measurement tolerances.

Scope: WDL GmbH supplies approx. 150,000 people with approx. 9.7 million m³ (previous year: 9.1 m³) of drinking water. Regular checks for water losses are carried out at WDL GmbH’s own water supply facilities in Upper Austria (Wels and Innviertel region).

Monitoring and assessment: The water supply is monitored by the control system. Additionally, records are kept comparing the quantities of water pumped and delivered to customers on a monthly basis.

Timescale: The reviews are being implemented on an ongoing basis.

Equipping the water supply systems with emergency power generators

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Contents: Equipping the water supply systems with emergency power generators ensures the drinking water supply in the event of power failures.

Scope and timescale: (Stationary and mobile) emergency power generators were installed in the company’s own water supply plants in Upper Austria (Wels and Innviertel region) and in some larger drinking water treatment plants in the Czech Republic.

Monitoring and assessment: The effectiveness is reviewed in regular drills.

Use of resources: Appropriate human and financial resources were used to implement the action at WDL GmbH and in the Czech Republic Segment.

E-mobility solutions for customers

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For e-mobility actions relating to climate change mitigation, see E1 Climate change, Sustainable mobility.

As part of the 2023 potential analysis, people living in private households in Austria and Upper Austria were surveyed on the topic of e-mobility. The survey asked people whether they owned an electric car or intended to buy one. It also covered whether or not participants owned or were planning to install a home charging station in a private household and analysed the advantages and disadvantages. The option for respondents to procure electricity from renewable energy sources for charging (e.g. via a PV system) was also recorded, as was the topic of charging cards, including the relevant factors for respondents in this context.

Expansion of offer for private and business charging card holders

Contents: Energie AG’s charging card is the key to Austria’s largest charging network, giving customers a convenient way to charge their electric cars. The Energie AG charging card offers the ability to charge at many public charging stations (Energie AG charging stations and those of other operators) and to pay monthly on a long-term contract basis.

A rapid switch to e-mobility leads to a reduction in CO₂ emissions. Raising awareness and increasing acceptance may be achieved by providing customer- and user-friendly services with the following features: easy, fast and affordable charging throughout Austria; uncomplicated access to Energie AG charging stations and to all charging stations of collaborating partners; 24-hour support hotline at Energie AG charging stations; billing service (monthly invoice). Energie AG is capitalising on the opportunity to offer customers comprehensive product solutions in the field of electricity and e-mobility as the transition to electromobility gets underway.

Scope: A charging card can be ordered in German.

Monitoring and assessment: The number of charging cards sold and the public charging points available for use with the charging card are assessed. The number of charging cards sold as of 30 September 2024 was 3,933 (previous year: 3,518). At the time, across Austria, more than 15,000 public charging points were available for use with the Energie AG charging card (previous year: 11,400).

Timescale: The charging card offer is a permanent scheme associated with the ongoing expansion of the company’s own charging network and the ongoing expansion of the partner charging network.

Own investment in charging infrastructure and its operation

Contents: In Upper Austria, Energie AG has established a dense charging network to provide public charging facilities (with up to 400 kW) for electric cars. The electricity supplied to all charging stations operated by Energie AG is to 100% sourced from hydroelectric power, wind and solar energy. Work is planned on further expansion (together with municipalities and local partners) in a range of capacity categories and will be intensified in line with economic efficiency criteria.

The targeted construction of public charging stations, including operational management, will further increase the number of charging stations available for public charging and provide full coverage for the general population. By setting up and expanding an electric car charging network, Energie AG is driving forward the transition to electromobility by providing the necessary infrastructure. Energie AG is capitalising on this opportunity and increasing its brand visibility by offering reliable charging stations marked with the Energie AG logo. The “e-mobility” megatrend is being accelerated.

Scope: The Energie AG charging card or the many national and international charging service providers can be used at the charging stations. Direct payment via the app is available in 20 languages. Charging instructions are available in German at the charging station.

Monitoring and assessment: The plan to expand Energie AG’s own charging infrastructure (number of charging points) defined in the “LOOP” strategy and organisation project is monitored on a monthly basis. The framework conditions (new vehicle registrations, etc.) must be monitored periodically in order to plan any necessary adjustments to the further expansion of the infrastructure.

Energie AG currently operates 648 publicly accessible charging points across Austria (with a focus on Upper Austria) (previous year: 469) and is responsible for managing the majority of them. In the 2022/2023 fiscal year, the number of publicly accessible charging stations was recorded in the non-financial report. Charging stations can include several charging points.

Timescale: The installation and expansion of the charging infrastructure is a long-term initiative. Ongoing expansion and modernisation of the company-owned charging stations and ongoing operational management are essential from both a technical and service perspective.

Sale of charging infrastructure and operating services

Contents: Energie AG offers its customers a range of charging station hardware to purchase, depending on the intended use. These are available for private charging stations or for company car parks – primarily in the form of service packages for operation.

Customer and user-friendly services with the following product and service features promote the faster adoption of electric vehicles: A power range from 3.7 kW to 22 kW AC (normal charging stations) and 50 to 400 kW DC (fast charging stations); load management functions in conjunction with photovoltaic systems or smart homes; operating services ranging from remote maintenance including software updates, data and authorisation management to a service hotline. In addition to making an economic contribution to the company’s earnings, it allows Energie AG to position itself as a full-service provider of charging infrastructure and strengthen the position of the Energie AG brand with values such as a focus on solutions and innovation.

Scope: Energie AG offers charging solutions in Austria (with a focus on Upper Austria) for single and multi-family homes, in dense residential buildings, for local authorities and for companies, fulfilling the charging needs of location-specific target groups for their vehicles.

Monitoring and assessment: The sales figures for wall boxes in the private and business sectors are tracked. The number of managed charging points is also recorded. Currently, this figure is 1,268 (previous year: 904).

Timescale: The range of charging station hardware and associated operating services for private and business customers are permanent initiatives.