The complete electricity market opening at the beginning of this year has naturally resulted in growing competition among traders with this commodity. Currently total 270 electricity traders are registered on the Czech market. As CEZ still has the status of the dominant player on the market, it is greatly limited in this strongly competitive position. Simply said, it cannot offer to customers lower prices than its competitors. The possibility to choose a supplier encourages the rise of suppliers who offer a wider range of customized products with more helpful sales approach and faster and more comfortable customer service. And that is the area where CEZ Group wants to beat its competitors. We offer a unique range of customer service by virtue of our call centre, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the phone number 800 810 820. As well as due to over 80 own and contractual trade centres and agencies, and last but not least the internet service Virtual trade office (VOK), whose popularity is growing fast, says Alan Svoboda, chief sales officer, CEZ, a.s.This year CEZ Group has entered into two strong strategic partnerships. Namely with SAZKA, with which it has prepared a possibility to pay electricity invoices through SAZKA terminals, and with the gas company RWE, with which it has opened joint trade centres where customers can settle matters concerning electricity and gas together. As an illustration, over six thousand customers have used the Sazka terminals for their payments since the introduction of this service on 10 July 2006.

Nearly three thousands of it were carried out last month, which shows that this method of payment is getting more and more popular with our customers, adds Alan Svoboda. Another pioneering step in the customer area is CEZ Group´s effort to set in motion the households market segment. That is the reason why CEZ is bringing in a new offer of products for 2007.Household customers will be in a position to use three new product lines Basic, Comfort and Exclusive from Janury next year. The tariffs under each product line are the same, they differ in the service range offered to customers free of charge in each product line. The Comfort is a product line which has already stood a test of the last years. Customers can easily select one of the new products, Basic or Exclusive, through customer service at any contact place. We want to offer our customers an option. A possibility to economize to those whose priority is the price and exclusive service and consultancy to those customers who can benefit from such service, said Alan Svoboda.If the customer wants to economize, they can select the Basic line, which offers lower fixed payments (annual saving of 120CZK) that do not include capitation for some services of the call centre and trade cetres or offices. Those are paid only in case the customer really uses them. Other forms of contacts, such as the internet or e-mail, can still be used free of charge at any time. An average annual payment of one household is roughly 5000 CZK. That means that in case of selecting the Basic line, the customer will save 2.4 % of electricity costs per annum.On the contrary, the Exclusive line is a product line for more demanding customers.

The level of services provided resembles the concept of a personal banker. Specially trained experts will be at disposal of the customers using the Exclusive line on the customer line of CEZ or directly in customer centres in all large towns. They will give advice in the following areas: tariff optimization, electrical heating, heat pumps, water heating, household appliances, thermal insulation of buildings, etc. A monthly fixed price for the Exclusive line products is 15 CZK up per a supply point.Along with creating higher comfort for Czech customers, CEZ Group aims at gaining foreign customers as well. Already this year it has started to sell its products to end consumers in Slovakia and Poland. The company is planning to address also consumers in Hungary, Austria and Germany next year. The company offsets a natural loss of customers in the Czech Republic that way. Its internal structure, which enables customers to submit offers for a comprehensive servicing in all countries of activity, helps CEZ Group to become the only supplier with a comprehensive offer throughout central and south-eastern Europe. That is something that first multinational customers are starting to use.