How do power sales companies operate after the new electricity reform? What is the profit model?

1.? The operation mode of power sales companies

First, let's talk about direct purchase of electricity as a control group.

Because there are some large factories that have more fixed values and times of electricity demand, the direct power purchase model can directly open up the channel of electricity sales between power generation companies and large factories. So power sales companies should not have much to do in this piece.

In fact, from the above explanation of direct purchase of electricity, we can see that there are two key points:

Whether the demand for electricity is large enough and stable enough

Whether the time of electricity consumption is fixed

So as a non-industrial user, we can't go directly to the generating company to sign a contract with the reason for this: the load is too small is just a small part of the problem, the key is that There is no way you can guarantee that you will have a fixed daily electricity consumption habit (for example, if you go out for a trip, will you still use electricity at home as usual?). The key is that there is no way to ensure that you have a regular daily habit of using electricity (for example, if you go traveling, will you still use electricity at home? So this is where the electricity sales company comes in, signing a contract with the power company instead of the customer. By superimposing the loads of multiple users, the company can utilize diversity of demand, and obtain a more stable load curve.

2. Profit model of power sales companies

1) Basic model

Electricity reform has just begun, and the current domestic power sales companies are still generally in the most basic model:

Taking advantage of the high degree of asymmetry of information between the user and the power generation, to earn the price difference.

Taking advantage of the domestic characteristics of the thermal power installed capacity surplus, so that as the buyer of the power sales company has a higher bargaining power, to depress the thermal power profit margins.

Of course, if the power sales company relies only on the above two points of "low" technical content of the business approach, then with the entry of more capital, this kind of power sales company will be gradually homogenized, and ultimately struggling.

2)Advanced mode

Because of E.ON UK (E.ON is one of the largest energy services companies in Europe) has done consulting, a little bit of understanding of their business model:

As an integrated provider of energy services, such as power supply, heating and natural gas.

Design different energy packages to implicitly increase their profits. (The art of making consumers feel like they're making a profit on the one hand, and smothering yourself on the other.)

Own some power generation assets to hedge their own power purchase risk and reduce operating costs (exclusively part of the spread between power generation and power sales). (The UK does not allow electricity sales companies to own distribution network assets.)

3)The ultimate model

This is the ultimate model because these services are currently being trialed around the world or are still being imagined ....

The introduction of real-time tariffs shifts the risk to the customer and earns a fixed spread.

Helps customers control electrical equipment and provides demand-side response services to the grid.