How real estate and energy companies achieve the longest possible effect when implementing the new regulations
Now that the Bundesrat has officially approved the resolution to amend the Heating Costs Ordinance (HKVO), the nationwide rollout of smart metering is within reach. The only condition for the Bundesrat's approval is that an initial evaluation be carried out after three years in order to identify any additional costs for tenants at an early stage.
While many of the industry's stakeholders initially reacted with reservations, an intensive examination of the new regulation shows that the introduction of smart metering brings with it many opportunities. Even if the process represents a time and financial investment at the beginning, it will result in many positive aspects in the coming years. We will show what added value the new HKVO can offer for the individual players, using the example of housing companies, energy companies, metering services and tenants.
HOUSING COMPANIES will benefit above all from the higher frequency of the consumption data collected. With the entry into force of the amended HKVO, consumption information is collected monthly per tenant unit and put in relation to individual, previous and also average consumption in the apartment building. This not only provides tenants with maximum transparency about their heating behavior, but also enables housing companies to make use of these new findings. They can use various incentives to achieve further savings, for example in the form of vouchers or other non-monetary incentives made possible through cooperation. The fact that the housing companies will ultimately also benefit from lower consumption by tenants becomes clear with regard to the development of the CO2 price. Even if this is currently borne solely by consumers, cost sharing by housing companies may soon follow. Because CO2 neutrality only works if tenants and housing companies act hand in hand; we at KUGU are firmly convinced of this. More information about the CO2 price can be found in our blog article: "Tenant or landlord or both - Who will pay the CO2 price in the future?"
ENERGY COMPANIES are given the opportunity to enter the metering service provider market through the amended HKVO. The conversion to remote-readable meters can be taken as a starting point to become independent of the metering service provider and to expand their own product portfolio to include the business field of submetering. The new technical provision for data security through smart meter gateways and the interoperability of metering technology is also proving advantageous for energy companies, which can meet this obligation better and faster than other players. How submetering is already successfully operated in practice by an energy company can be read in the blog post about KUGU's partner e.distherm.
MEASUREMENT SERVICE PROVIDERS gain time and personnel resources through the new HKV. Since consumptions are retrieved exclusively digitally from a distance, there is no longer a need for a person to read meter readings on site. Digital mapping makes it possible to retrieve monthly consumption data flexibly and from anywhere at any time. In addition, metering service providers will have a not inconsiderable additional income of up to 15 euros per metered residential unit in the future. With solutions like the one from KUGU, they are future-proofed and can offer their customers digital and automated processes, so that the effort ultimately remains manageable for all players.
TENANTS receive significantly more transparency about their heating behavior through monthly consumption surveys. The new aspect of comparative values also regularly shows them whether heating costs have been saved compared to the previous month and whether their heating behavior is generally at an average level compared to that of their neighbors. Consumers' awareness of their CO emissions is massively raised, which in turn represents a significant step towards climate change. One way that housing and energy companies are making consumption data available in a simple, automated, and visually appealing way is through the KUGU Resident App. More information about the app can also be found in the blog article "Make all relevant data available to end users with the KUGU tenant app".
Do you have questions about our tenant app or our range of services? We look forward to hearing from you!
Gabor Szomszed // Key Account Manager //g.szomszed@kugu-home.com
Sources: https://www.bundesrat.de/DE/plenum/bundesrat-kompakt/21/1010/12.html#top-12
