Energy, Arera, ‘For gradual protection the auction system is effective, cheaper prices protection’

“The development of the tender procedures required intense and punctual work, carried out in the pandemic period, maintaining deadlines and deadlines. From the analysis of the results of the insolvency procedures it emerges, in general, how the auction tool was effective , guaranteeing equal treatment between market operators and results that are as competitive as possible “. This was stated by the president of the Arera, Stefano Besseghini in the course of his annual report to the Chamber on the State of services and on the activity carried out by the Authority regarding the fact from 1 January of this year small enterprises and micro enterprises with at least a point with installed power greater than 15 kW, and who have not yet chosen a supplier on the free market, are provided in the service with gradual protection. The gradual protection service is the name given to the last resort service, specifically designed to intervene to protect small consumers, in the initial stages of removing price protection, to prevent unjustified increases and alterations in the supply conditions. The adherence to the tender procedures, Besseghini notes, “was consistent, with a number of operators who successfully passed the verification of the rigorous participation requirements defined by the Authority. This high participation led to the emergence of service allocation prices which, in most cases, are cheaper than those of the enhanced protection service. Many operators have probably discounted at least part of the acquisition costs of the customers subject to the tender due to the competitive pressure “. However, observes the president of Arera, “it would be wrong to imagine that the evolution to the overall overcoming of the higher protection service, even for domestic workers, finds simple application in the replication of already consolidated tools. This is a path that will require a lot of work. , in which the selection of reliable operators able to provide the service correctly takes into account the high number of customers still served in the highest protection and the greater concentration of the market (approximately 14.5 million points compared to the 212 thousand points transferred, from 1 July 2021, the new operators will receive the service with gradual protection) “. According to the president of Arera” it therefore appears necessary to trace a progressive path, giving priority to micro-enterprises, which allows an adequate number of operators to compete, to gradually increase their own market share, so as to efficiently acquire and manage a significant portion of end customers among that them currently still supplied in greater protection, also guaranteeing the identification of the right forms of protection in favor of vulnerable customers. The process must be accompanied by communication campaigns with the participation of all the institutions involved and with a careful selection of recipients and messages “.