What Energie Wasser Bern does

Energie Wasser Bern (ewb) is an autonomous public-law institution of the City of Bern that operates as a vertically integrated multi-utility delivering electricity, natural gas, water, district heating, waste-to-energy, fiber-optic telecommunications and public lighting across the City of Bern and adjacent municipalities such as Köniz/Wabern. The utility owns and operates the Energiezentrale Forsthaus waste-to-energy plant (~110,000 tonnes/year of waste converted into ~360 GWh electricity and ~290 GWh thermal energy), the recently renewed UNESCO-listed Mattenschwelle hydroelectric weir on the Aare, the Unterwerk Engehalde substation (fully renewed May 2026 after four years of construction), a 50+ km district-heating network across western Bern, the open-access Berner Glasfasernetz FTTH built jointly with Swisscom, and 80,000+ smart electricity meters covering the full service area (rollout completed February 2026).

ewb monetises through a mix of regulated volumetric tariffs (per kWh for electricity, gas, water and heat), one-off and multi-year network connection fees (raised in November 2025 to reflect actual Fernwärme build costs), recurring Wärme-/Kälte- and PV-Contracting service contracts, wholesale fiber fees charged to reselling Service Providers, and public-service mandates (lighting, fountains, clocks) reimbursed via regulated fees. Tariffs are set annually by the Bern Gemeinderat: 2026 private-household electricity rose to 33.06 Rp./kWh (+5% YoY), while standard gas tariffs were cut 2% as the biogas content rose from 40% to 50%. Customer segments span residential households (Grundversorgung electricity, gas, water, optional Fernwärme, fiber), commercial/industrial Marktkunden (free-market electricity, contracting, e-mobility, telecom business services), property owners/developers (Netzanschluss, Werknormen, Förderprogramme) and adjacent municipalities (cross-border heat networks).

The current strategic agenda is dominated by the multi-year Fernwärme-Ausbau (>CHF 500M programme), the legally binding gas-grid phase-out by 2045 (supported by CHF 18–23M annual special amortisations), the launch of LEG neighbourhoods under the new Electricity Supply Act, and the joint CHF 140M Green Bond issued with the City of Bern in 2024. The 2025 MBO divestiture of subsidiary Guggisberg Dachtechnik AG signals a deliberate refocus on the core utility and heat-transition mandate.

Name

Energie Wasser Bern

Legal name

Energie Wasser Bern (selbständige, autonome öffentlich-rechtliche Anstalt der Stadt Bern)

Website

https://ewb.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1876

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Energie Wasser Bern is an autonomous public-law municipal utility owned by the City of Bern, delivering electricity, natural gas, water, district heating, waste-to-energy, public lighting and FTTH fiber services to residential, commercial and public-sector customers across the Bern supply area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Multi-Utility Services

NAICS

Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply (22133), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Generation (22111)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial & Industrial (C&I) BESS EPC & Integration (EUAEAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commissioning, Testing & Energization Services (Pre-Commissioning, Grid Code Compliance) (EUAMAFAK), FACTS / Reactive Power & Power Quality Systems EPC (SVC/STATCOM, Capacitor Banks) (EUAEABAE), Gas Flow Measurement & Remote Metering Operations (Flow Computers, EFM) (EUAJAFAF), Civil & Site Works EPC (Earthworks, Roads, Drainage, Foundations) (EUAEADAA)

Keywords

• Municipal energy supply
• District heating services
• Electricity and gas utility
• Waste-to-energy generation
• Fiber-optic telecom network

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electricity supply (Grundversorgung & Markt): Recurring volumetric billing per kWh plus regulated network-use tariff, federal levies (Netzzuschlag, SDL) and municipal fees; tariff for private households in 2026 = 33.06 Rp./kWh (excl. VAT).
2. Natural gas & biogas supply: Volumetric gas billing (Rp./kWh) for heating and cooking; standard product ewb.Standard.GAS to contain 50% biogas from 1 Jan 2026; gas tariffs cut 2% from 2026 while biogas share increased.
3. District heating (Fernwärme) connection fees and consumption: One-off Netzanschlussbeiträge (adjusted upward in Nov 2025 to reflect actual build costs) plus recurring per-kWh thermal-energy billing across multiple temperature networks (HT/NT) in Bern West, Länggasse, Tiefenau, Eigerplatz, Holligen, Neufeld/Viererfeld/Tiefenau, Niederwangen.
4. Water supply and wastewater network charges: Recurring volumetric water fees (per m³) and Anschlussgebühren within the Versorgungsgebiet; mandatory Installationskontrolle.
5. Wärme- und Kälte-Contracting: Plan-build-finance-operate thermal-energy supply contracts (Wärme/Kälte) for sites such as Reichenbachstrasse 118, BäreTower, Bächtelenpark; long-term recurring service revenues.
6. PV-Contracting: Build-own-operate rooftop solar for property owners who cannot invest themselves; recurring kWh-based payments to the property.
7. E-mobility charging (Elektromobilität): Charging infrastructure for e-cars in homes and businesses; charging-fee revenue from hardware sales and per-kWh session billing.
8. Berner Glasfasernetz wholesale to Service Providers: Wholesale fiber connections resold to retail Service Providers (Provider-PK and Provider-GK); recurring wholesale fees.
9. Energieberatung and energy-efficiency services: Fee- or grant-funded consulting (e.g., Sportgastro AG, YB Restaurant Eleven, Heilsarmee Schweiz); often part of regulated DSM programmes.
10. Gebührentarif (metering, smart-meter opt-out, on-site reading): One-off and per-event fees for smart-meter refusal (CHF 150 installation) and on-site meter readings (CHF 38/reading) from 1 Jan 2023.
11. Public-lighting and Service-Public services: Public-service contracts (e.g., öffentliche Beleuchtung, Brunnen, öffentliche Uhren) compensated through regulated fees and city contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Energie Wasser Bern (ewb) is an autonomous public-law utility of the City of Bern that supplies electricity, natural gas (incl. biogas), district heating (Fernwärme), drinking water, fiber-optic telecom (Berner Glasfasernetz), public lighting and waste-to-energy services to residential, commercial and municipal customers within its Versorgungsgebiet. It also offers energy-transition solutions such as PV-Contracting, Wärme- und Kälte-Contracting, Elektromobilität charging infrastructure, Energieberatung and Smart Meter services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ewb.NATUR.Strom: Standard basic-supply electricity product line of ewb.
• ewb.ÖKO.Strom
• ewb.Standard.GAS
• ewb.SOLARKREIS
• Vougas
• ewb.HYDROSPEICHER

Products and services

• ewb.NATUR.Strom (electricity supply)

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual profit CHF 90.3 m (2024); CHF 34.7 m (2025, depressed by one-off KKW Gösgen outage and Federal Court tariff ruling)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Gurtenfestival 2026 (Energiepartner)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 July 2026Official Energiepartner of the Gurtenfestival Bern from 15-18 July 2026; links music, sustainable energy and regional responsibility.
• SwisscomflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026Joint construction of the FTTH Glasfasernetz in the City of Bern; largely completed as of 21 April 2026 within the approved budgets. Co-development and co-investment partnership for the citywide open-access fiber infrastructure.
• Axpo Biomasse AG (Biogasaufbereitungsanlage Aarberg)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Axpo Biomasse AG's fermentation plant in Aarberg (BE) replaced its combined-heat-and-power unit with a modern biogas upgrading plant; ewb offtakes the regional biomethane from regional green waste to upgrade its gas products.
• BelpmoosSolar-Konsortium (Energieunternehmen, Umweltverbände, Behörden)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2025Joint solar project demonstrating that energy transition and nature conservation can be reconciled; ewb partners with other energy companies, environmental associations and authorities.
• Gemeinde KönizflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2025Cooperation contract for the Wärmeverbund Bern-Wabern signed 13 March 2025; ewb decided to realise the network jointly with Köniz. First major section Baugesuch filed Feb 2026; construction start planned late 2026.
• Stadt Bern & Partner (Geospeicher-Pilotprojekt)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2025Pilot project for seasonal storage of waste-heat from the Kehrichtverwertung in a subsurface reservoir; exploration concluded in March 2025 that sandstone properties were insufficient for the originally planned commercial operation.
• Burgergemeinde BerncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2025Landowner for the Überbauung Schönberg-Ost (366 Wohnungen / >1,000 residents); modern Nahwärmeverbund realised as a model for sustainable heat supply.
• Talus Informatik AG (Wiler bei Seedorf)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Concept and technical realisation of ewb.ch on the Weblication CMS; primary web agency. CH-073.3.009.985-2 / CHE-101.108.971.
• inpeek AG (Bern)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Technical realisation of the kundenportal.ewb.ch customer portal; Bogenschützenstrasse 9, 3008 Bern.
• ITC AG (Dresden, DE)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Technical realisation of the geschaeftskunden.ewb.ch business-customer portal; Ostra-Allee 9, 01067 Dresden.
• ads & figures (Bern)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025External agency managing ewb's search-engine marketing (Suchmaschinenmarketing); Engehaldenstrasse 131, 3012 Bern.
• SC Bern (Silbersponsor)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Multi-year Silbersponsoring partnership with the ice-hockey club SC Bern; shared values of team spirit, dynamism, engagement and fair play.
• BSC Young Boys (Premium Partner)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Multi-year Premium Partnership with BSC YB; aligns with ewb's regional engagement in the city of Bern.
• Women in Power (Schweizer Energiebranche)minorOthers · 1 January 2025Sponsoring of the Swiss energy-sector women's network "Women in Power" aimed at increasing diversity in the energy industry.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• IBAarau AG: Cantonal multi-utility of Aargau supplying electricity, water, heat and telecom. Comparable mid-sized Swiss municipal/cantonal utility structure with a similar integrated portfolio.
• St. Galler Stadtwerke: Integrated municipal utility of the City of St. Gallen covering electricity, district heating, gas, water and telecom. Comparable mid-sized Swiss municipal multi-utility with similar regulated return profile.
• Energie Wasser Luzern (ewl): Multi-utility of the City of Lucerne providing electricity, water, gas, district heating and fiber-optic services. Closely comparable mid-sized Swiss municipal multi-utility with similar portfolio and customer structure.
• Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB): Municipal multi-utility of the City of Basel supplying electricity, gas, district heating, water and telecom to residential and business customers. Closely comparable in scope, ownership structure and Swiss urban-energy-transition strategy.
• Services Industriels de Genève (SIG): Geneva's multi-utility delivering electricity, gas, water, district heating and telecom. Comparable in regulated municipal ownership and integrated service offering to Swiss urban customers.
• Elektrizitätswerk der Stadt Zürich (ewz): City of Zürich's multi-utility providing electricity, district heating (Energie360°), fiber-optic services and e-mobility. Largest direct peer to ewb in terms of integrated service portfolio and Swiss municipal-utility best practice.

Broad incumbents

• Swisscom AG: National telecom incumbent and co-investor with ewb in the Bern FTTH Glasfasernetz. Overlaps on fiber infrastructure, but operates at national scale rather than municipal-utility focus.
• BKW Energie AG: Large Swiss energy group with generation, grid and end-customer services. Broader geographic and vertical scope than ewb; comparable in regulated Swiss energy supply but operates as a listed incumbent rather than municipal multi-utility.
• Axpo Holding AG: Switzerland's largest producer of renewable energy and a major trader; supplies biomethane via Axpo Biomasse AG to ewb. Operates broadly across Swiss energy markets rather than within a single city franchise.

Regional players

• Energie Thun AG: Regional multi-utility serving the Thun/Bern Oberland area with electricity, heat, water and fiber. Comparable service portfolio to ewb but smaller scale and geographically distinct from Bern.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EnergieWasserBern
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/energie-wasser-bern
• Instagraminstagram.com/ewb.ch
• Xx.com/ewbBern

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Energie Wasser Bern