Preface
The first part of the report submitted by the E.V.V.E. – European Association for the Consumption-based Billing of Energy Costs – EWIV dealt with the elaboration of recommendations for the implementation of the SAVE directive in those Member States of the European Union who have not yet introduced measures nor programmes for instruments facilitating a consumption-based and consumption-related billing of costs for heating, air-conditioning and hot water – brief energy cost allocation.
In the “Guidelines for the Billing of Heating, Air-Conditioning and Hot Water Costs according to Actual Consumption” the E.V.V.E. has covered extensively all questions which may arise from a practical point of view in the context of the implementation of article 3 of the SAVE directive into regulations of Member States. The guidelines are being supplemented by numerous examples of successful billing models from different countries, which support the following statement:
1. The consumption-based energy cost allocation makes an important contribution to the saving of energy and environmental conservation. The consumption-based energy cost allocation contributes to sustainably improve energy efficiency in the building sector and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions (CO2)
2. It has been proven that the consumption-based energy cost allocation increases the motivation of habitants of centrally-heated buildings to adjust their heat energy and hot water consumption to their actual needs. The conscious regulation of heat and hot water supply saves on average 20% of energy.
3. In times of adjustments of the social structure of States, increasing tax burdens and decreasing purchasing power, a flat-rate billing of energy costs is no longer acceptable for European consumers. Nobody would accept it nowadays, would costs for telephone or fuel for example not be calculated precisely. Where technical opportunities are available and have been frequently tested and proven worthwhile, they should be used. Countries like Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland have been showing us for decades how the system of consumption-based energy cost allocation has not only been accepted, but has been regarded as absolutely necessary and requested by consumers.
Conclusion:
The consumption-based and therefore consumption-related billing of energy costs must be part of national energy saving and legal housing regulations.
The European Commission acknowledged the trend and made use of its right to initiate legislation through the SAVE directive in 1993. The E.V.V:E. followed these steps by creating another instrument in form of the European Guidelines which shall also enable the other Member States of the European Union to take overdue measures for consumer protection in the field of energy efficiency and energy saving in the building sector.
Therefore the E.V.V.E. sustainably encourages the initiation of the European Commission, as listed in Chapter 4.4.2 “Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies” of the White Book Energy (KOM 95/682 ENDG):
"If the increasing dependence of the Union on energy imports shall be cut measurably, and if the environmental goals of the Union shall be reached, then all available energy-efficient technologies must be optimally used and the energy saving potential must be fully exhausted. As shown in the analysis in Chapter III, in a situation of ample energy supply at low cost, the trend towards a more efficient use of energy (measured as energy intensity) has declined. Energy efficiency however can be a double winning-game for all those being involved in the energy industry: for the industry higher energy efficiency means higher profit, productivity and competitiveness as well as less waste; for consumers it means cost saving without an impact on comfort and quality of life. For the community a more efficient use of energy means a reduction of import dependence and therefore a higher security of supplies, comprising the positive side-effect of decreasing ecological damages: In every respect there is obviously a substantial potential for improvement."