Independent firms reserved, awaiting NOME auctions

Independent electricity suppliers are extending their current offers, either silently or officially, through ongoing promotional campaigns, and are not expected to take any drastic marketing-related action until a clearer picture of the market conditions emerges.

In the short term, independent suppliers are waiting to see the official details of main power utility PPC’s recent decision to offer 15 percent discounts to customers with punctual electricity bill payment records, expected this week, and, further ahead, the arrival of NOME auctions, expected in September.

The independent suppliers, maneuvering to penetrate Greece’s electricity market because dominant PPC must significantly lessen its perennial stronghold as a result of bailout requirements, still hold an upper hand in terms of current offers. The offers of independent suppliers remain more attractive than PPC’s, despite its discount offer, announced last week.

Independent suppliers are expected to hold on until September before making any major moves as they wait for the effects of PPC’s discount offer to settle and the NOME auctions. Beyond September, an outbreak of promotional activity and new offers is expected, when full-on competition conditions will have arrived.

The NOME auctions will provide third parties with access to PPC’s low-cost lignite and hydropower sources as part of the bailout-related obligations intended to break the utility’s dominance.

According to energypress, Heron, one of the market’s main independent players, has decided to extend its current discount offer until at least the end of June. Households are offered 40 percent discounts on daily electricity usage for the first three months.

As for Elpedison, it has also extended its already successful promotional offer until mid-June, at least. Through this package, households are charged a standard amount of one euro per day, regardless of consumption, for their first five electricity bills, without any fixed surcharges.

Protergia, the electricity market’s other main independent player, is also continuing its offer, indefinitely. New customers are offered a nighttime electricity rate of 0.0661 euro per KWh around the clock for the first four months.

Watt+Volt is continuing its offer of electricity tariffs at a rate of 0.08277 euro per KWh to customers until December, 2016 or December, 2017, depending on wider packages opted for. Customers have until June 30 to take up this offer.

Also, Volterra will continue offering a 10 percent discount to household and professional customers until the end of 2016 if they sign new supply contracts by June 30.