Part II - EDP

• Percentage of customers waiting less than 60 seconds
during call centre service
• Percentage of requests for information answered in up
to 15 working days
6.4. Special customers
Within the scope of its overall service, EDP had 373,328
customers paying the social tariff in 2008, 98% of whom
were in Brazil (366,761). The social tariff is a recent service
in Spain set up in July 2008. In December, 329 customers
had already subscribed to it (additional information in the
Chapter Regulatory Framework).
In addition to offering a social tariff, EDP also has a number
of initiatives for supporting access to essential services by
more vulnerable customers:
• Efficient Community Programme (Brazil) – This is a
project aimed at increasing energy efficiency in homes
in the 61 neighbourhoods of Grande Vitória and has
helped reduce the number of illegal connections.
In 2008 104,598 incandescent light bulbs were replaced
by compact fluorescent bulbs and 103 refrigerators
were exchanged;
• Energy Programme (Brazil) – Electricity suppliers are
obliged to invest 0.5% of their operating profits in energy
efficiency projects, which must be approved by the
regulator and aimed at low-income customers. In 2008
the programme supported around 40,000 families and
distributed over 142,000 light bulbs;
• Distribution of efficient light bulbs (Portugal) –
In 2008, 200,000 light bulbs were distributed on housing
estates and in old neighbourhoods and the distribution
of 1,700,000 light bulbs was organised at Modelo,
Continente, Pingo Doce, Feira Nova, CTT and EDP stores
to customers with low consumption and contracted
power as part of the National Energy Efficiency Action
Plan.
At the end of 2008, EDP had 592 customers with special
needs registered in the Iberian Peninsula, 87% of which
in Portugal.
6.5. New services
Innovative products were developed in 2008, including
energy efficiency promotion services.
6.5.1. Energy efficiency
Energy efficiency has been a fundamental part of
EDP’s strategy to reduce CO 2 emissions, which involves
optimising consumption by customers and the general
public, improving energy efficiency at its premises,
increasing the share of renewable generation and
promoting the distribution of energy produced without
CO 2 (see the Chapter Climate Change for additional
information). Several initiatives were undertaken in 2008
to encourage customers to use electricity responsibly and
improve their environmental behaviour, as illustrated on
page 92-93.
6.5.2. Specific services for companies and institutions
Portugal
An energy consultancy service was launched in the
unregulated market, as a result of an understanding
of the need to maintain and manage the customer
confidence acquired by EDP Comercial. This service
helps customers, irrespective of their power supplier, to
optimise consumption, provides advice on tariffs and gives
information. The customer portfolio covered by this service
currently represents consumption of around 3 TWh/year.
At the same time, more attention was devoted to
managing customer debt not only in the front office –
customer relations but also in terms of improving the
Group’s internal procedures. Thanks to this campaign,
around 2 million euros in unpaid debts were recovered.
A high point of the year was the completion and opening
of the country’s largest solar thermal power station. It has
1,600 m 2 of solar panels installed on the roof of Caixa Geral
de Depósitos head office.
This solution makes it possible to save up to 70% of the
energy needed to heat water in a building and prevent
the emission of 1,700 tonnes of CO 2 a year. This innovative
installation in Portugal places EDP and the CGD at the
cutting edge of solar thermal solutions.
On a par with this large-scale project, new solutions for
other major corporate customers were introduced in 2008,
such as electrical remodelling at major industrial facilities
such as Polivouga, Solidal and Pingo Doce, to a total of
5 million euros.
In the unregulated market, EDP intensified marketing
campaigns in line with the paths chosen for edp5D –
development of an innovative range, great proximity to
the customer and attractive communication of the brand’s
positioning, such as:
• Launch in May of an advertising campaign “I live in
another dimension”, which encourages people to visit
the website “euvivonoutradimensao.pt” and discover
the advantages of edp5D;
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