Customer Relations
CEZ Group offers comprehensive solutions in the supply of electricity, gas, heat, and other services. It provides tailor-made energy solutions for households, companies, municipalities, and public and private institutions. Thanks to modern technologies, it contributes to reducing energy consumption and improving the quality of life of customers.
CEZ Group actively supports market cultivation and awareness in the fight against unfair practices by unscrupulous elektricity and gas sellers. It advocates for stricter legislation and helps customers defend against unfair market practices. It evaluates its sales and marketing practices according to the highest standards, and therefore has been perceived as the most trusted brand on the market for many years.
The most significant categories of customers and consumers from the perspective of CEZ Group are electricity and gas customers with supplies from the subsidiaries ČEZ Prodej (2.6 million supply points) and ČEZ Distribuce (3.8 million supply points) and consumers buying heat from ČEZ Teplárenská. Less significant categories in term of numbers include customers of energy services from the company ČEZ ESCO which serves businesses, municipalities, and public administration, customers of the telecommunications group Telco Pro Services, and customers of the ČEZ, a. s., network of public charging stations. Abroad, there are also corporate customers of Elevion Group, which focuses on energy services.
CEZ Group’s key customer activities – electricity sales and electricity distribution – are not associated with significant downstream activities of other companies within the value chain. Therefore, the impacts and risks associated with customers are mainly related to its own business activities in the area of electricity sales and distribution.
In the case of a specific group of seniors and disabled people, CEZ Group strives to prevent negative impacts through a specialized helpline for seniors and by supporting the availability of services for people with hearing impairments in accordance with the law. CEZ Group focuses on protecting vulnerable groups, for instance through special products for people with disabilities, which include lower energy prices and priority service. It also offers interest-free repayment plans that can be arranged online.
CEZ Group’s commercial and contractual conditions are transparent and unambiguous. Our employees receive regular training to offer solutions to our customers while maintaining the highest level of service. That is why in 2024, ČEZ Prodej won the Most Trusted Energy Supplier award for the eighth time.
CEZ Group emphasizes customer education through educational programs such as ČEZ Akademie and online portals focused on energy savings and defense against unfair business practices. ČEZ Prodej remains active in consumer protection against unfair practices in the energy market. We inform about such practices on a dedicated website (www.cez.cz/cs/nedejte–se), where consumers can find advice how to defend themselves.
Programs like setrim.cz offer tools to optimize energy consumption, which contributes to lower costs and a higher quality of life for customers.
CEZ Group is also investing in infrastructure, ensuring supply reliability, and building system capacity, thereby responding to the growth of renewable energy sources. The result is improved customer satisfaction and support for environmental goals. CEZ Group also invests billions of CZK into distribution system facilities to ensure a safe and reliable elektricity supply.
ČEZ Distribuce, ČEZ Prodej, and other companies of CEZ Group have set up clear processes for the protection of personal data, which are in accordance with EU Regulation 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data (GDPR) and other relevant EU or Czech legal regulations, as well as processes related to transparent, objective, and timely resolution of complaints and grievances. All complaints and claims are objectively investigated, and a written statement is sent to the customer.
More information can be found in the Sustainability Report 2024.
In addition to standard complaint processes, CEZ Group operates various communication channels for expressing concerns and suggestions, such as the Ombudsman Office, the Data Protection Officer, and the Whistleblowing Hotline. The Ombudsman is independent of CEZ Group subsidiaries and resolves complaints from customers who are dissatisfied with the handling of their grievances in the areas of billing, consumption measurement, or the quality of services provided. The Data Protection Officer focuses on protecting the rights of data subjects under the GDPR, while the Whistleblowing Hotline allows for anonymous reporting of suspected illegal activities.
The assessment of the results of suggestions and complaints is part of the published data and statistics regarding personal data protection by the Ombudsman and the Whistleblowing Hotline.
ČEZ Distribuce applies electricity distribution quality standards in accordance with national legislation and the Equal Treatment Program, which is based on European and national legislation.
The safety of electrical equipment operated by ČEZ Distribuce is ensured in accordance with the requirements of national legislation (original and derivative legal regulations, Czech technical standards, energy company standards, distribution system operation rules). This compliance is constantly monitored by conducting audits and inspections (preventive maintenance schedule). Internal regulations describe procedures that cover the life cycle of the facility, from its design, construction, and operation to disposal.
More information can be found in the Sustainability Report 2024.
ČEZ Prodej and ČEZ Distribuce continue to support trust, transparency, and a responsible approach to their customers through effective corrective mechanisms and open communication.
All complaints and grievances received are objectively investigated, and a written statement is sent to the customer. If deficiencies are found, corrective actions are ensured.
Within ČEZ Prodej, customer complaints and grievances are dealt with by the Complaints and Special Activities Section. Complaints are accepted at contact points, via the call center, and through an online form in the MŮJ ČEZ app at www.cez.cz/cs/sluzby/muj-cez.
As a regulated entity, ČEZ Distribuce has a primary obligation to ensure equal access to all electricity market participants. Therefore, when resolving grievances and complaints, it proceeds exclusively in a non-discriminatory manner, respecting the applicable legal regulations in every respect, both with regard to meeting deadlines and the same method of resolution regardless of the type of customer (residential, business, municipality, associations, etc.). If customers are not satisfied with the services of the distribution system operator, they can file a complaint by phone at the contact center, by email, via the Distribution Portal, or the Proud mobile app. Also, they can submit their case directly to www.cezdistribuce.cz/ podnety-a-reklamace.
More information can be found in the Sustainability Report 2024.
If a household is in a difficult situation, ČEZ, a. s., recommends that they contact a specialized financial distress counseling center, with which it cooperates. The counseling center can provide advice on managing the family budget, help find ways to save money, or obtain additional sources of income. The counseling center will also provide options for resolving obligations in relation to ČEZ Prodej, the state, or other organizations. All counseling services are free.
On its website, ČEZ Distribuce provides video tutorials for solving the most common life situations that customers, electricity producers, and other communities may encounter. Situations include everything from electricity supply issues to request for connecting a facility to the distribution system. All requests can be resolved online, which significantly speeds up customer interaction.
ČEZ Distribuce regularly conducts customer surveys with the aim of determining customer satisfaction, both in individual processes and by segment, so that it knows at all times how the actions are perceived and successfully implemented.
The choice of corrective actions corresponds to the nature of the individual grievance regarding the methods of handling customer requests or is based on the applicable personal data protection legislation, within which the time limits and rules set by the GDPR are observed. Corrective actions to eliminate the causes of reduced supply quality are governed by applicable legislation and are associated with financial compensation if standard time limits are exceeded. If a situation arises within the scope of a grievance or complaint that may have a negative impact on a larger group of customers, steps are always sought that will allow for a change in the process or the elimination of the impact on customers.
A comprehensive internal procedure is defined for dealing with damage events that distinguishes between several categories of damage and methods of settlement according to severity and scope.
More information can be found in the Sustainability Report 2024.
CEZ Group focuses on maintaining good relationships with its customers in the long term. ČEZ Prodej has declared a customer satisfaction goal and compares itself with major elektricity suppliers, this is also key indicator included in VISION 2030.
Within the NPS and CX index, the achievement of these goals is evaluated annually, and new goals are subsequently set for the upcoming period. Each goal-setting aligns with and aims to fulfill the key customer satisfaction indicator included in VISION 2030. The NPS score for 2024 is 19, which represents an improvement compared to 11 in 2023. The CX index for 2024 reached 87.7%, an improvement from 85% in 2023.
ČEZ Prodej aims to maintain the CS index level above 85% in the long term and achieve the best possible NPS results. The target NPS value for 2024 has been set at 20. The overal customer satisfaction indicator, which consist of NPS and the CX index, was evaluated as fulfilled in 2024. It is calculated using a defined ration between NPS and the CX index.ČEZ Prodej publishes customer satisfaction results every year and participates in competitions.
The CX index is measured after requests are processed, and satisfaction with the processing, staff, and effort is assessed. The Head of the Business and Strategy Division and the CEO of ČEZ Prodej are responsible for overseeing customer approach within CEZ Group. Customer experience is regularly measured using the CX index, which is based on the CSAT (customer satisfaction score) and CES (customer effort score) methodologies. Special care is given to customers with specific needs, such as people with disabilities, for whom a preferential product with priority processing and a special hotline is offered.
The NPS of ČEZ Prodej is evaluated based on customer feedback from customers whose supplier is ČEZ Prodej. ČEZ Distribuce has a long-term customer satisfaction target of 95%, and newly also NPS indicators to follow. The NPS is generally evaluated according to the benchmark set by the largest retail market entities (energy companies, banks, insurance companies). The ČEZ Distribuce NPS is evaluated with regard to customers in CEZ Group’s distribution area.
CEZ Group’s strategic priorities include continuous modernization and digitization of the distribution system and digitization of key customer services. These priorities were announced as part of VISION 2030.
The transformation of the distribution system includes three targets by 2030:
- Use of smart meters (the target is 80% of power consumption to be covered by smart meters). The smart meter rollout on low-voltage will commence in 2024. We will cover all customers with consumption over 6 MWh by July 2027.
- Remotely measured transformer stations (the target is 80% of transformer stations to be measured remotely); by 2024, 25% of stations were covered.
- Installation of fiber optic networks (the target is 8,500 km compared to 6,300 km of currently installed networks).
The aim of the digital transformation of the distribution system is to create a smart automated grid with increased reliability. The development of the smart grid includes implementation projects focused on deploying smart meters, remotely controlled elements, measurement system in transformer stations, and network automation. Verification projects will also be carried out to further improve operational safety and supply reliability. The new smart grid will enable new connectionsof decentralized generation and charging infrastructure for electromobility. The priority is efficient network management and subsequent cost reduction. For this reason, advanced analytical tools are being implemented over data from intelligent network elements. The construction of fiber optic networks will ensure the operation, safety, and further development of the digitalization of the distribution network and will allow the use of free capacity for telecommunication services.
The second strategic priority is the transformation and digitization of key customer services. Our aim is to streamline not only internal processes but primarily services for customers and partners. ČEZ Prodej strives to ensure that by 2025, 100% of key customer processes are online and the share of digital customer interactions reaches 50%. Major projects are planned, e.g., transition to SAP 4HANA and connection to the Energy Data Center, which will enable the development of electricity sharing, support for active customers, and new business models in the field of aggregation.
Digitalization and automatization are areas into which the company systematically invest. It focuses on new digital channels and simplifying customer paths. An example is the self-care portal MŮJ ČEZ, including the mobile app.
In 2024, the total number of users of the online environment reached 1.5 million. The share of selected customer request resolved online reached 40% in 2024. ČEZ Prodej is also digitalizing internal and customer processes.
In order to improve conditions for customers of its subsidiaries, ČEZ, a. s., established the office of the Ombudsman in 2009. The Ombudsman has a goal of resolving at least 90% of customer submissions within 30 days.
CEZ Group seeks to provide its customers with the best possible services and wants customers to have the opportunity to assert their rights even in some non-standard situations or unsatisfactorily resolved cases. At the same time, it is interested in receiving suggestions from customers to improve its work. The Ombudsman’s activities contribute to the out-of-court settlement of potential disputes between customers of CEZ Group companies and these companies.
The Ombudsman investigates specific concerns from customers who are not satisfied with the resolution of their complaint or grievance previously submitted to one of the CEZ Group company. When submitting a complaint to the Ombudsman, the desired outcome is to resolve disputes between customers and CEZ Group companies and achieve reconciliation, including a detailed explanation of the problem to the customer. To prevent the problem from recurring, changes in procedures and effective corrective actions on the part of companies are recommended.
The Ombudsman reports directly to the Board of Directors of ČEZ, a. s., specifically to the CEO, and is completely independent of CEZ Group subsidiaries. The Ombudsman’s tasks include investigations of customer submissions, assessments of customer suggestions for improvement of services provided by CEZ Group, and proposals of systemic changes to individual CEZ Group companies. The Ombudsman investigates submissions from customers who are not satisfied with the settlement of their complaint or grievance previously filed with a CEZ Group company. These submissions may concern any activities of ČEZ Prodej, ČEZ Distribuce, ČEZ ESCO, and other companies of CEZ Group that provide services to external customers. Specifically, these include billing of electricity or gas consumption, billing of mobile or financial services, measuring electricity and gas consumption, services provided, distribution equipment, quality of electricity supplied, employee behavior and attitude, etc. These individual activities are provided by
CEZ Group companies or their suppliers. The Ombudsman submits proposals for systemic actions to the affected CEZ Group companies which improve the activities of the companies in relation to their customers. Proposals are submitted on an ongoing basis and the relevant companies inform CEZ Group’s Ombudsman about their acceptance or non-acceptance.
In 2024, the Ombudsman received 814 submissions, of which 42 were deemed justified. In 22 cases, the respektive company, reconsidered its original stance after discussion with the Ombudsman and accommodated the customer, and in 20 cases, the Ombudsman applied a specific approach for customers in a difficult social situation.