Universal Registration Document 2022

In Italy

The customer service function was boosted, with widened scope for paying in several instalments. Edison joined the Manifest on energy poverty, an initiative promoted by the Banco dell’Energia, aimed at creating a network of energy companies, voluntary associations, research organisations, and service sector organisations with practical commitment to combating energy poverty. In 2022, the action was particularly focused on the Calabria region, with Edison financially supporting some hundred families (not necessarily Edison customers) to help them pay their electricity bills. Training sessions for ecologically responsible habits were also provided to sustainably raise families’ awareness.

In Belgium

In Belgium, Luminus developed all the public schemes that are specific to each of the three regions: Flanders, Wallonia and the Brussels Capital Region. In 2021, the Belgian government decided to extend the so-called “social” rate to new customer categories. This social rate now covers one million beneficiaries, against 500,000 in 2020. 20% of Luminus customers enjoyed benefit of the social rate in 2021, double the figure for 2020. For many years, Luminus has focused its efforts on calculating monthly instalments, and encourages its customers to adjust the instalments proactively in order to avoid unpleasant surprises at the annual settlement. In 2020 and 2021, these efforts brought about a fall in requests to stagger payments. In 2022, the sudden soaring of energy prices caused a sharp increase in requests to stagger payments (spread over eleven months, instead of the previous six months).

In the UK

In the UK, the Energy Carbon Obligation (ECO3), wholly aimed at vulnerable customers and implemented by EDF Energy, encompasses measures both for reducing carbon emissions and for combating energy poverty through the improvement of energy efficiency.

3.3.4.2.2 Support initiatives

In November 2021, EDF committed itself to no longer requesting that electricity be cut off for bills unpaid by its private customers in France.

With this measure, EDF goes further than its regulatory obligations outside the winter grace period, by replacing the cut-off with a power limit of 1kVA. This measure, which took effect on 1 April 2022, applies in all cases, unless there is a physical or technical inability to limit the power supply to the dwelling. A qualitative and quantitative study is in progress seeking to better understand how the scheme was perceived by customers.

EDF has made arrangements to provide massive support to customers facing hardship. This translates into an Energy Support service, increased vigilance during the winter grace period, and a firm local basis for the solidarity policy.

3.3.4.2.2.1 The Energy Support Service

Since 2010, “Accompagnement Énergie” (Energy Support Service) has been providing a personalised solution to any EDF customer who has trouble paying. This is a system deployed by telephone by 5,000 customer advisors and 230 solidarity experts.

The Energy Support Service and who is involved

5,000 Customer Relations Advisors

All of them are based in France, and have been trained to handle energy insecurity situations. They detect the first signs of hardship and offer the first forms of assistance. The EDF advisor checks that the customer is getting the right rate for their consumption habits and that the bill has been calculated on the basis of a real index. The advisor tells the customer how to lower their consumption and discusses the terms of payment. They inform the customer about the energy voucher, directing them to those who can help if necessary.

230 Solidarity Experts

230 EDF Solidarity Experts dedicated to solidarity who work directly with social action organisations to provide the best possible support to the most vulnerable customers.

Group key performance indicator

GROUP KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR

The key performance indicator relates to the number of advisory actions carried out with customers within the framework of the Energy Support Service.

The accompagnements énergie (energy support measures) are one of the levers implemented by EDF to combat energy insecurity, in parallel for example with the promotion of the energy voucher scheme, and with the institution of payment instalment schedules or the renovation of housing.

In 2022, the number of advisory actions was below the range set annually, despite the general rise in prices due to the soaring of energy prices, with major impacts on households, particularly on the most vulnerable among them.

Energy insecurity is a complex phenomenon, and an increased number of households do not apply for the financial aid to which they are entitled. Heating restrictions avoided excessively-high bills that are harder to honour. The EDF recovery process also helped maintain a continuous, proactive dialogue with customers experiencing payment difficulty, with regular sending of e-mails or SMS messages, with a commensurate decrease in recourse to advisory actions under the energy support.

Advisory actions carried out with customers within the framework of the Energy Support Service

(in number of actions)