In January 2018, ener|gate Gasmarkt last talked to Gundolf Schweppe, the managing director of Uniper Energy Sales. At the time, we talked about a “flat rate” product that Uniper Energy Sales offered utilities for their customers. The idea: The customer pays a fixed monthly lumpsum fee for the gas supply without any extra ex-post charging if the consumption deviates from the calculated level. Uniper tested the product from October 2018 with five utilities and a maximum of 500 customers per utility. The more general idea behind the product initiative was to revitalise partnerships with local utilities and to offer risk and task sharing that allows each partner to use its strengths. For the flat-rate product, this means that Uniper provides its experience with the hedging of temperature risks and the efficient provision of volumes. The utilities add the knowledge of local markets to approach the appropriate customers for such a product and to bear the behaviour risk for these customers.
ener|gate Gasmarkt talked to Mr Schweppe once again. One topic of the latest interview is the experience with the flat rate product. But a more general second topic is further development and new ideas for a sales approach that is based on partnership. One insight from the interview in advance: Uniper is becoming more sustainable!