Customer service on the ground:

aurenţiu Udrescu, Electricity Sales Manager at Repower Romania, advises Laura Hamzea of the Grand Plaza Hotel in Bucharest on the best possible energy use within the building.

Make a customer, not a sale

In-depth report on “Cooperation and innovation” – part 4

Guests entering the Grand Plaza Hotel in Bucharest walk into a foyer bathed in light, warmly welcomed by numerous small lamps lit by electricity from Repower. The friendly atmosphere makes holidaymakers and corporate travellers alike feel at home. It is the mix of cosy hotel ambiance and a sophisticated energy concept that helps to create a welcoming environment for the guests. Repower is committed to building a solid relationship with the hotel by delivering state-of-the-art energy consulting services that cater not only to the hotel's needs but also to those of its clients.

In Romania, Repower enjoys a reputation as a reliable and experienced supplier committed to customer focus. The organisation's solid portfolio comprises around 470 business customers with more than 1,000 connection points. In this Eastern European country, Repower is a strong player in the liberalised electricity market, being one of the four largest non-state energy providers. The company supplies electricity to end consumers, mainly in the SME segment (small and medium-sized enterprises), with requirements ranging between 0.5 and 20 gigawatt hours. On the competitive market, Repower Romania has a market share of more than five per cent in this customer segment. In 2013, the company sold approximately 1.31 terawatt hours of electricity to its Romanian customers and is constantly upgrading its procurement portfolio in the interests of secure supply. It aims to diversify its sources with the emphasis on renewables (i.e. solar and wind power, hydroelectricity and energy derived from biomass). As well as participating in various public auctions, Repower obtains electricity from small and independent producers.

Repower places major value on fostering customer loyalty. The company not only endeavours to win new customers, but above all dedicates a great deal of time and effort in maintaining contacts with existing customers. Consequently, Repower positions itself on the Romanian market as one of the leading providers in terms of quality and commitment to service. Its customers benefit from personalised analyses, tailor-made offers and services that reflect the high standards typical of a Swiss company. This was one reason why the Grand Plaza Hotel decided to opt for Repower as its electricity provider. The hotel is part of a group of 21 companies (restaurants, residential and office buildings) – and they all get their electricity from Repower. With its 285 rooms on 18 floors, a restaurant as well as meeting and event rooms, the hotel calls for all-round energy management. For Repower this is an integral part of its service offerings. As Laurenţiu Udrescu, Electricity Sales Manager, puts it, “It's very important for us to maintain personal contact with our customers. This is the best way to respond to their individual needs. We assess each customer's power consumption habits separately, proposing adequate solutions to reduce costs.” Repower also offers the hotel advice on energy efficiency, a telemetering system and infrared thermography. “By carefully analysing electricity consumption within their building, we show our business customers how they can keep on improving the way they manage their energy,” explains Laurenţiu Udrescu. But to adapt its services as closely as possible to customers' requirements, Repower is also dependent on their cooperation, and in this case the company collaborates with the hotel's technical manager, who draws up reliable forecasts of electricity consumption, which Repower then takes as a basis for its procurement and supply.

Repower and the Grand Plaza Hotel enjoy a good partnership that goes back many years. Courtesy of the Grand Plaza Hotel, Repower had the opportunity to use the hotel foyer as the location for some extraordinary 360° photos for an advertising campaign.

The Romanian energy market

Romania is to Eastern Europe what Switzerland is to Central Europe – an energy hub situated between East and West, between North and South. The country has almost 22 million inhabitants and a great deal of growth potential since, even though it has more than 2.5 times Switzerland's population, it consumes some 10 per cent less electricity.

The installed generation capacity is around 22 gigawatts, of which more than 85 per cent is state-owned. Around 55 terawatt hours of electricity a year is generated. In the last two years there has been an explosion of new renewables producers, which has increased installed capacity to approximately 3.2 gigawatts (15 % of overall capacity).

Repower entered the Romanian supply market in 2010, when it took over the supplier Elcomex EN, which had been operating on the market since the liberalisation in 2004. Since its market entry, Repower has been able to position itself successfully thanks to its high quality standards, innovative products and made-to-measure solutions for customers. Its young and innovative team possesses outstanding know-how, and the Repower brand is a byword on the Romanian market for credibility and competence.