Entry by Direct Energy Authority imposes emergency and as a precaution, GDF Suez to make available to its competitors some of the data file to its customers regulated gas prices. This access will take place between November 3 and December 15, 2014
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“ At the current stage of the investigation, GDF Suez may have abused its dominant position in the gas market using infrastructure and facilities (TRV customer file, website, customer platform …), part of a public service activity, to market market offers gas and electricity, competitive activity , “wrote Tuesday Authority competition. As a result, SFM will allow its competitors access to these data TVR.
Explanation. In April 2014, the Competition Authority had received a complaint from Direct Energy, one of the new vendors emerged with the opening of the French market to competition in July 2007 The “new entrant” denounced practices implemented by GDF Suez in order, he said, to foreclose competing suppliers of the gas market.
Among the practices complained, GDF Suez use its customer file to regulated tariffs (TRV) to offer deals to market gas and electricity, which would give him a incomparable to maintain its position in the gas market and win new customers in the electricity market advantage. Direct Energy also denounces “ practical confusion in marketing offers to TRV and market offerings, a practice of improper coupling in its dual gas and electricity and a practice of bashing competitors “.
Risk preemption
Today, the Competition Authority seems to agree with Direct Energie (see Decision of September 9 in its entirety). For now she regrets not only the French gas market is still very little competition (see box) but again, the competition has not resulted in lower prices. The weight of energy expenditure in the household budget (the average household energy expenditure for a user amounted to € 1,600 in 2010) and the constant increase in fuel poverty “make urgent better knowledge by clients, offers the most competitive “(see box).
Now, according CRE since 2013, GDF Suez has sharply intensified marketing its gas market offers to its customers offers TRV. “ Documents in the record show that this tactic of rapid conversion of customers to TRV market offerings is part of the business strategy of the company for the years ,” the judge of the competition. He adds: “ There is therefore a high risk of preemption market, prohibiting dissemination of the most competitive offers that could yet help ease consumers’ bills, particularly the most vulnerable approach to the season. heating reinforces the urgency. Moreover, removal of TRV for small industrial and merchant customers with an annual consumption of more than 30 MWh (ie 162,000 companies or craftsmen) also highlights the urgent need for action, as these Consumers will be forced to choose an offer to market by the end of this year or no later than the end of 2015, depending on the size of their consumption . “
Gas market: a failed information
In an opinion issued April 18, 2013, the Authority competition détailel several points behind the failure of the opening to competition of the market for the supply of natural gas. It points in the first, “a failed information” consumers, individuals and professionals. “ Many consumers believe that gas regulated tariffs protect them from price increases, while offers of cheaper markets are available in the market. Moreover, the media coverage accompanying every movement of regulated gas tariffs reinforces in the minds of many consumers the idea that there would be only one gas price in France, the regulated prices offered by the incumbent supplier “. Result: At the end of September 2012, 90% of “residential customers’ gas is supplied at regulated tariff. Then, more than half of them did not know they could choose their supplier of natural gas and 68% EDF and GDF Suez are two different and competing firms. Finally, the false idea that the act of leaving the regulated gas tariff (for residential consumers) would be “irreversible” dies hard. However, this is more the case since 2010
Paradoxically, the alternative gas supplier that the fastest growth – EDF – “is also one that offers products for gas more expensive than regulated rates, noted the Authority. short, “poor level of information prevents consumers to benefit from the proposed alternative suppliers who are, in some cases, much more competitive than regulated rates (up to 15% off deals some segments) . “
As a result, SFM will allow its competitors access to the TVR data.” The data concerned are those which are strictly necessary for the exercise of effective competition by competing providers: customer details and specifications of its consumption (…) This access must take place no later than November 3, 2014 for customers with quality legal entities and 15 December 2014 for customers with quality individuals to preserve the right to object to the special transmission of personal data . “
Finally, if GDF Suez does not meet these deadlines,” it will stop marketing its market offerings until the data access is fully operational for competitors “.
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