Support for vulnerable customers
EVN’s values also include a commitment to social responsibility, an obligation that has become increasingly important in today’s environment. Energy supplies must not only be reliable, above all they must remain affordable. We are well aware that the increase in energy prices has created an enormous burden, especially for financially weak households. As a result, we have intensified our efforts and initiatives to support vulnerable customer groups. Our staffs in customer relations and the service centres are specially trained and informed to deal with these concerns. Over various channels, (personal contacts, telephone and online), they offer individual assistance on issues ranging from energy saving tips to the management of payment difficulties and maintain active contact with our customers. We also provide energy saving tips on our website, through personal contacts in our service centres and as part of our info bus campaigns. Since the assistance for vulnerable customers is dependent on their specific needs, the current market situation and social programmes in the specific markets, responsibility for the implementation of concrete initiatives lies with the individual Group companies.
In Austria, measures like our cooperation with the Caritas and Diakonie social service organisations, the debt counselling service in Lower Austria and the Lower Austrian poverty network have proven successful for many years and we recently intensified this cooperation. Projects concentrate, among others, on measures to improve energy efficiency and on cost-cutting opportunities that often lead to significant savings. We have had very good experience with programmes based on the “train the trainer” principle, which prepare social counsellors to conduct advising discussions (e. g. on subjects such as energy savings, potential subsidies for heating costs etc.), and we also accompany the counsellors in their work with people threatened by poverty.
Our regular contacts with the above organisations make it easier to coordinate individually targeted measures for socially disadvantaged customers. The related measures involve individual agreements for payment deferrals or instalment payments as well as solutions developed together with aid organisations and social service providers. In justified individual cases, we are particularly accommodating to our customers’ problems and work with them early on to find solutions. The termination of contracts, for example, is something we see as an absolute last resort and we do everything to avoid such steps wherever possible.
We waived the suspension of electricity services for our household customers from 1 December 2022 to 30 April 2023 and will not terminate any electricity, natural gas or heat services for household customers during the period from 1 December 2023 to 31 March 2024.
To provide help in particular hardship cases, we established an energy help fund in autumn 2022 with an endowment of EUR 3m. It is intended to provide affected households with professional energy advising, equipment replacement or bridge financing for energy invoices. The distributions from this fund are handled by social institutions.
Monetary assistance
Households in Lower Austria have been able to benefit from various relief measures approved at the federal and provincial level in 2023. The entitlement for these measures is, in part, linked to social needs and, in part, not tied to special requirements. In this context, we offer our customers specific tariff changeover options that reflect the lower market prices. We also developed options for direct handling through our company – including a simple application over our website – to make sure these services quickly reach the customers.
In addition to these relief measures, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection offers a so-called “housing umbrella”. We cooperate with social service organisations for the administration and guarantee interruption-free energy supplies for our customers.