When the electricity market opened in 2013, Estonia was not yet covered by remotely-read meters, therefore, only exchange packages could be concluded on the basis of average daytime or night-time power exchange prices. The installation project for remotely-read meters ended in 2017. Since then, it has not been possible to choose an older type of package, but the package with average exchange prices remained valid for many customers.
“We have informed our customers about the possibility of renewing their packages, but they have not been inclined to make the change. Based on customer feedback, we are happy that we can now make the change automatically and earlier than expected. The new type of package with hourly pricing will allow to save costs by monitoring consumption more than before and by using electrical equipment or heating at cheaper hours,” Agnes Roos, Member of the Management Board of Eesti Energia, explained.
All 50,000 customers in the older type of package with average exchange prices will receive a personal notification and do not have to do anything to change their contracts.
At the same time, the trends of the electricity market show that a drop in exchange prices is not to be expected in the coming months. High power exchange prices are caused by the lack of affordable renewable energy, so consumption has to be covered by electricity produced from more expensive sources.
“Considering what is happening on the electricity market, we understand those customers who do not want to monitor power exchange prices and schedule their consumption. In this case, we recommend fixed-price packages, which give peace of mind that the agreed price will not change during the contract period,” Roos added.