Criticism of EKZ – Zurich electricity companies make layoffs more difficult – News

• More than 100 solar power producers have terminated their contracts with the electricity works of the Canton of Zurich (EKZ).
• The reason for this: they receive up to four times more money from other energy suppliers. Now the EKZ adjusts the contract conditions.
• But this caused criticism from the Greens.

Anyone in the canton of Zurich who operates a solar system on the roof of their private house or on the roof of their company feeds the electricity into the grid of the local energy supplier EKZ.

There is money for this – the so-called acceptance fee. Since this autumn, other energy suppliers have also been buying solar power from Zurich’s roofs.

This has consequences: EKZ has already lost more than 100 electricity suppliers. This in turn poses problems for the energy company. These power losses are unscheduled and must be replaced with expensive electricity from the open market. The EKZ are now acting and adjusting the terms of termination.

EKZ massively extends the notice period

The supply contract with EKZ can now only be canceled at the end of the year with a two-month notice period. Previously, this was possible at the end of each quarter with a notice period of ten days.

This decision is by no means a reaction to the many departures in recent weeks, says EKZ media spokesman Urs Freudiger. The energy supplier had already decided in the spring to adjust the notice periods.

“We have the legal mandate to supply the canton with electricity. If electricity producers jump out, we have to buy the missing electricity at great expense. In the end, the general public pays for it again,” says Freudiger. With the longer notice periods, the EKZ are hoping for greater planning security.

Green canton council is outraged

The Green Canton Councilor David Galeuchet is disappointed by this measure. Together with other canton politicians, he sent a request to the government council to draw attention to the changed contracts.

Galeuchet demands that the EKZ have to find other ways to retain their suppliers. “These are gag contracts, you want to bind the producers for a whole year, so far it hasn’t been necessary.”

EKZ media spokesman Freudiger defends himself vehemently: “We do what health insurance companies and many others do, you can cancel one date a year. That’s normal in the market.”

They used to see no need to protect themselves with longer periods of notice, since solar power made up a much smaller part of the total volume of electricity than is the case today.

Cheap electricity has priority

First and foremost, the EKZ would like to offer the cheapest possible electricity for the general public. In fact, this has been successful recently: in the canton of Zurich, electricity prices are comparatively low.

Cantonal Councilor Galeuchet agrees that the EKZ have done a good job in this regard and proactively ensured a cheap electricity supply. But that would also be possible with higher reimbursements: “I can’t imagine that the additional expenditure for higher reimbursements would have a major impact on the electricity price in the basic supply”.

The low reimbursement is ultimately to blame for the many departures and the extended notice periods at most to combat symptoms.