Bills assigned to Hera and Enel are awarded to “undecided” customers

Bills assigned to Hera and Enel are awarded to “undecided” customers

The Single Buyer (the state body responsible for purchasing energy for the protected market) has made public the results of the auctions for the supply of electricity to users who on 1 July will leave the regulated market without having chosen a free market supplier. According to what was reported by La Stampa, seven operators have obtained contracts for the supply of energy to users who will automatically be assigned to the Gradual Protection Service. Before the auction, Italy was divided into 26 zones (12 in the north, 4 in the center and 10 in the south) and each participating supplier could submit a bid in a “sealed envelope”, with a fixed annual price for each supply point of the lot.

Enel and Hera were awarded 7 areas each (the maximum possible), Edison Energia 4, Illumia 3, A2A and Iren 2 each, while Eon only one. Enel Energia acquired the customers of Milan, Rome and Turin, while Illumia won the auction for Turin and Rome. Among the companies that communicated the data of new customers acquired, Enel reported the addition of 1.4 million users, Hera 1 million, Edison 700,000, Illumia 600,000 and Iren 340,000. However, each supplier lost customers in other provinces assigned to other operators.

The balance between new entries and exits is just one of the parameters to consider. While some operators have aimed for a “quantitative” strategy, others preferred to focus on specific geographical areas. Enel, for example, has increased its market share in areas where it is not present, such as Milan and Rome. In the case of Iren Energia, the balance between new entries and exits is positive by around 260,000 units, including both new customers and losses estimated.

According to the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment (ARERA), the expected savings on the bill for users of the Gradual Protection Service should be around 73 euros per year per user, compared to current data which could vary over time . However, there are notable disparities between Italian regions. Southern families, in particular, could pay more. “The regions most affected by the auctions are undoubtedly Sardinia, the province of Naples and the Sicilian cities of Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Palermo and Trapani”, explained Furio Truzzi, honorary president of Assoutenti, underlining an increase in prices for non-vulnerable customers compared to auction prices.