OREANDA-NEWS. June 4, 2012. The new business name of Eesti Energia Jaotusvork is Elektrilevi OU. The changeover to a new business name was due to the fact that the electricity market is opening up completely next year, and Elektrilevi is required to be distinct from the electricity seller Eesti Energia.

"Today buying of electricity and network service are closely interlinked from the customer's perspective, but this is set to change when the market opens. Starting next year every customer can choose their seller of electricity, while the power grid to which their home or enterprise is connected will stay the same," said Elektrilevi director Tarmo Mere. In the Eesti Energia Group, Eesti Energia will be responsible for selling electricity while Elektrilevi will handle network service – i.e. distributing electricity and managing the power grid.

All electricity sellers will be able to sell electricity via the Elektrilevi network on equal terms and conditions. "The duty of the network operator is to treat all parties equally. We will allow sellers to sell electricity on identical conditions, while we will offer customers services or fix power outages on uniform grounds, regardless of their chosen electricity seller," added Mere.

Network operators are natural monopolies everywhere in the world, as this is the most efficient way of maintaining networks. As multiple parallel power grids are not established in the same place, the activities of network operators are governed by legislation and government regulators. Thus the price of network service – which makes up close to one-third of the electricity bill – will remain under a government regulator control even after the market is opened.

The European internal market directive and the draft updated version of the Estonian Electricity Markets Act set forth the need to distinguish various areas of activity on the open electricity market by way of respective trademarks for the competitive and network business. This requirement applies to power companies with more than 100,000 clients.

The clearer distinctions drawn between companies in the group will not result in any major changes for customers this year. The new name Elektrilevi will not have any bearing on current agreements. Eesti Energia's customer service can still be contacted in all power and network matters. The number for reporting power outages will be still 1343. Meter readings are to be sent to Eesti Energia, which will invoice customers. Information on matters pertaining to the power grid is available on the website www.elektrilevi.ee and via e-mail info@elektrilevi.ee  .

Elektrilevi OU is the Estonian distribution network operator, responsible for bringing electricity to people's homes and businesses and maintaining and upgrading the power grid. The company administers about 61,000 km of lines and more than 22,000 substations. It invests the entirety of its operating profit into repairing the power grid.