Vaasa, Finland – October 23, 2008 – VaasaETT today announced that the latest ranking of energy retail markets worldwide has been revealed in the fourth edition of the World Energy Retail Market Ranking report, published by the VaasaETT Utility Customer Switching Research Project, supported by Peace CIS (www.peace.com) and Capgemini (www.capgemini.com).

Key Findings:
According to the research, the Australian state of Victoria is the hottest energy retail market in the world for the second consecutive year. The South Australia market took second place, pushing Great Britain to third. The other deregulated Australian markets of New South Wales and Queensland make 5th and 7th place respectively. In the United States, Texas continues to be the only market displaying switching levels in the top 10 markets worldwide while in Europe, Great Britain, Wallonia in Belgium, Norway and Sweden round out the top 10 markets. Germany, for the first time since it liberalized, became active and is now catching approaching a level of activity similar to that in the Nordic region.

The fourth edition report also revealed that successful utility retail competition is being sustained in markets around the world, and typically accelerated, but of the 13 European markets opening to full competition in 2007, only one reached an active level of customer switching between suppliers. Average European switching rates were less than 4% compared with 13% for the rest of the world. The research suggests that price caps and other forms of price regulation remain a major hindrance to competition in much of Europe, killing off competition before it can start. The report suggests however, that the economic downturn is expected to increase competition levels substantially in 2009.

About the Project
The Utility Customer Switching Research Project monitors customer switch rates and trends in over 50 fully competitive deregulated energy retail markets worldwide and has provided the first and only comprehensive global view of utility customer switching activity.

For more information about the Utility Customer Switching Research Project, or to request a copy of the World Energy Retail Market Rankings repot please visit www.utility-customer-switching.com.

VaasaETT is the world’s leading source of information on global customer switching and churn trend data and analysis. VaasaETT is also publisher of the bi-annual Utility Customer Switching Research Project, sponsored by and in collaboration with First Data and Capgemini (www.utility-customer-switching.com).

More information from Dr Philip Lewis: +358 40 529 5852 or firstname.secondname@vaasaett.com

The Austrian regulator E-Control has selected VaasaETT to assist them with a new project to monitor electricity and gas prices from around Europe on a monthly basis, in a representative and comparable manner. VaasaETT’s role with be to assist E-Control in the development of the index design and methodology, and to thereafter collect the data from around Europe on a monthly basis.

VaasaETT is delighted and honoured to be a part of this exciting project.

More information from:

Dr Philip E. Lewis: firstname.secondname@vaasaett.com, Tel: +358 40 529 5852

or Johannes Mayer: firstname.secondname@e-control.at”

The Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) and VaasaETT collaborating on a joint research project to assess Electric Retail Competition and Customer Choice of Power Suppliers in Scandinavian Countries and the implications for Japan. The Joint Research, funded by CRIEPI and to be completed by Spring 2009 and published in a public CRIEPI report, will investigate issues related to residential/commercial/industrial customers and energy companies and will include: market overviews; similarities and differences between the markets; current market trends of retail prices, customer switching/loyalty, services/protection/transparency and other key liberalization and market efficiency indicators; performance analysis and customer choice between energy companies in Scandinavian countries.

For more information please contact: Dr Philip E Lewis at +358 40 529 5852, or firstname.secondname@vasaett.com.

Download The Prospectus

A Research Prospectus in collaboration with EEE Ltd.

VaasaETT is delighted to announce a world leading, in-depth, multi-client research project and report, identifying the market status, future trends (until 2020), dynamics and success-determinants of Demand Response and associated Smart Metering issues on a global, country-by-county basis. The project is planned to take place between Autumn 2008 and early Autumn 2009. Subscriptions to support are now being sought.

Report Overview
Focusing on infrastructural, regulatory, business case and customer dynamics, the report will deliver the very latest international research findings. Intensive interviews with the market’s top experts in this field, analysis of dozens of the best cutting edge research studies and rollouts, and scenario modelling will provide accurate guidance for those interested in anticipating and maximizing the current and future potential of these innovations.

The report, to be completed early Autumn 2009, will be the culmination of an intensive year project harnessing the global reach of VaasaETT’s Global Energy Think Tank, with its outstanding network of connections to those conducting DR pilot studies, implementations, and other research and development. The report will also expand on the extensive experience of VaasaETT in the field of DR.

The report will be guided, managed and written by Dr Philip E. Lewis, Alex Henney (EEE Ltd.) and Jessica Strömbäck.

Download The Prospectus

For More Information or to Subscribe please contact: Jessica.stromback@vaasaett.com or call: +358407256023 any time..

EU could save 25-50% of its 2020 energy savings and emissions targets through effective Demand Response. This free but detailed report, by Capgemini, VaasaETT and Enerdata 2008, entitled “Demand Response: a decisive breakthrough for Europe - How Europe could save Gig watts, Billions of Euros & Millions of tons of CO2″, is the result of six months of intensive research by the writers.

Extensive interviews with leading experts from around the world, analysis and correlation of the worlds largest collection Demand Response pilot studies and implementations (from Europe, USA and Australia), together with the up-to-date European energy market data were all incorporated into an advanced model to predict the future of European Demand Response under two scenarios.

The report not only measures the impact of Demand Response but also provides detailed advice for all interest groups interested in maximizing the potential of Demand Response in their markets.

The report, while optimistic about the potential of Demand Response is clear about the results of the modeling, which indicate that Europe will fall far short of its 2020 objectives unless Demand Response efforts are heavily accelerated.

Subscribers to the VaasaETT Global Energy Think Tank network will receive a free copy of this report, alternatively an electronic copy can be downloaded from the Capgemini website: DOWNLOAD

For more information please contact Dr Philip E. Lewis at firstname.secondname@vaasaett.com

VaasaETT will be a primary supporting association for the forthcoming Metering Russia & Baltic States 2008 Event, to be held in St Petersburg, Russia on October 21-22, 2008. This ground breaking event, organized by Synergy Events, will be the largest and most advanced of its kind to take place in Russia. VaasaETT role is to spearhead the event in Russia through its Russian expertise and connections and its expertise in the field of Smart Metering and Demand Response.

For more information on this outstanding event visit: http://www.metering-russia.com/Default/Home_2284.aspx

October 21-22 2008: Metering Russia/Baltic States 2008, St Petersburg, Russia

September 22-24 2008: Metering/Billing/CRM Europe 2008, Amsterdam, Netherlands

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Recent Past Events

April 19-23, 2008: Metering, Billing, CIS America 2008, San Diego, California, USA

February 25-26, 2008: Smart Metering Scandinavia 2008, Stockholm, Sweden.

The biggest challenge facing the metering industry is how to turn smart metering into smart business. To meet the challenge, the energy industry needs to address not only technical metering, communication and manufacturing issues, but all the ways in which smart metering may derive value for the industry. The missing link in the value chain has been and remains customer; smart metering can derive value through enhancing demand response, billing, added-value customer services and by improving corporate image and the image of the industry. By creating a more customer and service centric approach to smart metering a new dimension to the business case can be developed.

This seminar will bring together smart metering experts from around the world to one of the world’s most advanced and developed smart metering regions, Scandinavia in order to identify how to turn smart metering into a customer and service centric business. Delegates will be able to learn from Scandinavian experience and research, as well as the experiences of other European markets, the USA and Australia. Expertise and strategies will also be drawn from other more customer focused industries. This event will bring delegates up to date with the latest thinking, solutions and benchmarks.

February 20-22, 2008: Metering International presents the World Meter Design Congress, San Jose, CA, USA

February 27-28, 2008: Smart Metering - European Opportunities and Solutions, Amsterdam, Netherlands

February 4-5. 2008: Energy Training Programme for South East Europe, Ljubljana, Slovenia

November 7-8. 2007: Energija 07 conference in Maribor, Slovenia (www.energija07.si)

October 17-19. 2007: Marketing Efficiency for Energy and Utility Companies, in Prague, Czech Republic (www.energyforum.com)

September 24-25. 2007: Customer Relationship Management for Utilities conference in London, hosted by Markus Evans (www.marcusevans.com)

October 2-4. 2007: Metering, Billing/CRM Europe 2007 in Vienna, Austria, hosted by Synergy Events (www.synergy-events.com).

This is the world’s largest Metering conference/exhibition.

The selected subcontractor will serve as a subcontractor of VaasETT, taking care of the administrative tasks of the management of the project.

If you wish to tender for this open position, please contact jessica.stromback@vaasaett.com and we will send you more information on the role and the selection criteria.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: 17 June 2008. 

More information will be posted soon. Thank you for your patience. In the mean-time more information can be obtained by contacting Philip Lewis on tel: +358 40 529 5852 or email: firstname.secondname@vaasaett.com

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