Metering.com - Dirk Briese

Market overview of billing service providers in Germany

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:01:00 +0100

:NODATE:[Dirk Briese][February, 22 2008]The status of competition in the German billing market shows diverse structures. The companies serve different market segments within the billing market, dependent on their backgrounds and core competences.

Competition is still largely geographically limited to the regional level. Indeed it can be stated that competition exists to a lesser extent between the different service providers than it does between the service providers and those energy suppliers (and local authorities) that to date have performed their own billing. Even today, spun-off billing service providers still account for the majority of holding and affiliated companies.

Trends and developments in metering and billing in Germany

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 11:46:26 +0200

:NODATE:[Dirk Briese][June, 7 2007]The liberalised metering market in Germany remains in the early stages of its development. The essential influencing factors in metering and the meter reading market today are unbundling, the Measuring Instruments Directive (MID) and the work of the regulatory authority.

At the moment, competition in the services market takes place primarily at a local and regional level between different metering service providers like power suppliers or technical companies. Meter manufacturers are acting at both national and international levels, and consolidation within this industry sector is already far advanced. However, Eastern European manufacturers are also trying to enter the German market by offering meters at low prices; if their products match the customers’ quality standard, they will probably be successful.

The Market for Meter Operators in Germany

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:04:23 +0100

:NODATE:[Dirk Briese][December 14, 2006]

At present utilities – and especially network operators – are bound by the effects of the EnWG in the fields of metering and measuring. (The EnWG, or Energie-Wirtschafts-Gesetz, is a German Act based on EU law, with the aim of ensuring a consumer-friendly and ecological gas and power supply, active competition, and the long-term efficient and reliable operation of power and gas grids). Initial customer requests for a takeover of the meter make it neces-sary for utilities to position themselves as meter operators/service providers, and to play an active part in the new market for metering and measuring. In view of the decreasing fees for using networks and other sanctions, it is important for network operators to develop alterna-tive possibilities to assure sales volumes within the market.

About Dirk Briese

Sat, 15 Jul 2006 14:58:19 +0200

Regional Editor: Europe

Dirk Briese is CEO of trend:research. He was previously Head of the Department for Acquisitions and Development at the utility swb AG Bremen, where he conducted market research and consulting projects, and he has also worked in a market research and consulting company. He holds a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s in political science and English from the University of Tübingen.