Acquirente Unico is a joint-stock company, set up by the GRTN, and entrusted with assuring the electricity supply at competitive prices to captive customers", in order to allow them to benefit from liberalization. The mission of Acquirente Unico is to purchase electricity under the most favourable conditions, and to provide it to the distribution companies for delivery to the captive customers. Electricity purchasing Acquirente Unico is the exclusive provider of electricity to the captive market and has been fully operational since 1 January 2004. In order to meet this objective AU may:
* sign long term power purchasing agreements directly with producers for a quantity not exceeding 25% of yearly total demand of the captive market;
* enter into contracts with foreign suppliers;
* receive electricity produced by renewable sources (the so-called CIP-6 electricity) at prices set by Authority;
* purchase the electricity of multiyear import contracts for captive costumers signed by Enel;
* purchase the remaining part through the IPE (Italian Power Exchange).
In order to stabilize costs of electricity bought from the spot market, AU enters into financial contracts signing the so-colled Contracts for Differences. Energy supply to distribution companies Energy purchased by Acquirente Unico is resold to distribution companies according to the directives of the Authority for the Electricity and the Gas. Prices are defined on monthly basis taking into account the average purchasing cost, in order to assure economic stability of Acquirente Unico.
Acquirente Unico S.p.A. supplies electricity to households and small businesses. The company buys electricity on the basis of demand forecasts and resells it to distributors or retailers of the standard offer market for supply to small consumers. It also manages the energy consumers’ help desk and holds public bidding procedures to select providers of last resort for the final customers of the natural gas market. The company was founded in 1999 and is based in Rome, Italy. Acquirente Unico S.p.A. operates as a subsidiary of Gestore dei Servizi Energetici GSE S.p.A.
