What exactly is the principle behind an energy-purchasing consortium, and how do companies benefit from it?

Philip Gutschke: wattline is an energy-purchasing co-operative with over 29,000 members. When the energy requirements of these companies are pooled, this results in purchasing power of over 2 billion euros and an energy volume of more than 7 billion kWh. This enables us to purchase energy on the market on terms that are otherwise reserved for large-scale buyers – and we pass this benefit on directly to each individual member.

In addition to these volume discounts, the timing of purchases is crucial for securing favourable energy prices: our market analysts continuously monitor the energy market, the geopolitical situation and economic conditions in order to procure energy in a forward-looking and targeted manner. This enables us to secure contracts on optimal terms at the ideal time.

The added value for our members: consistently low energy prices, certainty in budgeting and planning, and absolutely no administrative hassle. That’s because wattline takes care of everything, from cancelling contracts in good time, to comparing quotes, right through to signing new contracts. We also ensure that the terms of all energy supply contracts are aligned.

In practice, have you noticed a significant shift towards renewable energy among your members?

Philip Gutschke: Yes, absolutely. We’re receiving an increasing number of enquiries about green electricity and biogas – and the more members of the community switch to renewable energy, the greater our collective impact becomes. Although we’ve been offering green energy for many years, demand has risen significantly, particularly in recent years.

It is important to note that the switch to green electricity or biogas will take place as part of the next tender process. We are unable to offer this change whilst an existing contract is in force. We are therefore all the more delighted that more and more companies are taking responsibility – and actively shaping the energy transition alongside us.

How does wattline manage to secure competitive prices even for green electricity and biogas?

Philip Gutschke: Our approach works just as well for green energy – and we can actually prove it. As part of our performance benchmark for 2024, we compared the annual average prices paid by wattline members for electricity and gas with the official market prices for commercial end-users.

The results speak for themselves: particularly in the biogas sector, the average prices secured by wattline in Germany were significantly below market levels. As a result, our members have achieved average annual savings of over 20 per cent over the past four years.

It is also important to note here that the market figures include both fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. As fossil fuels currently still account for the largest share of the overall market, the average market price primarily reflects their price level.

This means that we compare the prices achieved by wattline for renewable energy – such as green electricity or biogas – with a market price based predominantly on fossil fuels. The fact that wattline is able to offer predominantly lower tariffs even under these conditions clearly demonstrates that the energy transition is not a cost risk, but can be a competitive advantage.

And how much does a wattline membership cost?

Philip Gutschke: Good question – membership is completely free of charge and can be cancelled at any time with four weeks’ notice. Only once we have achieved actual savings for the member following the first contract are we charged a one-off, performance-based fee: 37.5 % of the amount saved per delivery point. All subsequent contracts are then free of charge. Membership is therefore completely risk-free.

What advice would you give to a company that wants to switch to green energy but is worried about higher costs?

Philip Gutschke: Concerns about higher costs when switching to green energy are entirely understandable, but in many cases unfounded. Our long-term analyses show that, with wattline, companies can source green energy without any cost risk and at competitive prices.

I often say: "Anyone who isn’t familiar with the energy market at the moment is paying through the nose". The fact is, however, that small and medium-sized enterprises in particular rarely have the capacity to devote much time to market mechanisms, price cycles or the ideal time to make a purchase.

This is exactly where we come in: as a purchasing group, we pool our requirements, monitor the market continuously and make targeted purchases at the ideal times. The more members we have, the better the terms and conditions become for everyone. And because we also take care of all the administrative work, our members not only save time but also money and hassle when switching to green energy.