Energie Service Biel/Bienne

What Energie Service Biel/Bienne does

Energie Service Biel/Bienne (ESB) is the municipal multi-utility (Stadtwerk) of Biel/Bienne in the canton of Bern, Switzerland, owned by the City of Biel/Bienne. The company supplies approximately 55,000 electricity customers and 64,000 drinking water customers, alongside natural gas, district heating and cooling, e-mobility charging, and fiber optic telecommunications for business customers. ESB operates as the regulated basic supplier and grid operator in its concession area, with electricity distribution tariffs set under ElCom oversight. The company's electricity offering is 100% renewable and 62% sourced from its own production assets, which include the Wasserkraftwerk Hagneck (110 GWh/year), Bözingen, Brügg, and Taubenloch hydroelectric plants (all naturemade star certified), the world's largest stadium-integrated solar plant on the Tissot Arena (2,106 kWp across 8,100 modules), and a 35% stake in the Argessa AG pump-storage facility in Valais.

ESB's technology footprint spans 16 kV and 0.4 kV electricity distribution, lake water intake via the Seewasserwerk Ipsach (protected by a patented bidirectional mechanical quagga mussel cleaning system), 13 district heating and cooling networks (Wärmeverbünde) sourcing thermal energy from Lake Biel and anergy sources, an active smart meter rollout exceeding 11,000 units with 15-minute interval load profiling, and the eMobiel e-mobility charging brand with billing solutions for property managers and STWE associations. Revenue is generated primarily through regulated subscription tariffs (basic monthly fees plus consumption-based charges) for electricity, water, gas, and heating/cooling, complemented by transaction-based e-mobility fees and fiber telecom subscriptions. FY2025 revenue was CHF 161.1 million with an annual profit of CHF 11.6 million, up from CHF 9.1 million in 2024. ESB serves its market through direct field operations, a bilingual (German/French) customer service team, and the mon.esb.ch online portal, reflecting Biel/Bienne's bilingual municipal identity.

Name

Energie Service Biel/Bienne

Legal name

Energie Service Biel/Bienne

Website

https://esb.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Energie Service Biel/Bienne (ESB) is the municipal multi-utility of Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, supplying roughly 55,000 electricity and 64,000 water customers with 100% renewable power, district heating/cooling, gas, fiber telecom, and e-mobility services across 13 heating networks and multiple hydroelectric and solar assets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Biel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

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 distribution and sales: ESB operates as the regional electricity grid operator and supplier for Biel/Bienne. Revenue from electricity distribution (network fees regulated by ElCom) and energy sales to ~55,000 customers. 100% renewable electricity from regional and national hydro and solar production. 62% self-production share of basic supply. Revenue 2025: CHF 161.1 million total company revenue.
2. Water supply: Drinking water production and distribution to ~64,000 customers via lake waterworks (Seewasserwerk Ipsach) and groundwater sources. Revenue from water supply tariffs.
3. Gas distribution: Natural gas and biogas distribution. ESB was among the first gas providers with a 20% biogas share in total gas supply. Higher gas sales in cold Q4 2025 partially compensated for lower electricity margins.
4. District heating and cooling (Wärmeverbünde): Operation of multiple district heating/cooling networks (13 Wärmeverbünde listed) supplying sustainable heating and cooling from lake water (Energieverbund Bielersee), anergy networks, and other sources. The Energieverbund Bielersee was inaugurated March 2025 with ~260 planned connections. Investment in renewable energy 2025: CHF 11.1 million.
5. E-mobility charging infrastructure (eMobiel): Public and private electric vehicle charging solutions branded eMobiel. Includes charging configuration tools, public charging, and billing solutions for property management and STWE (stock ownership).
6. Telecommunications (Glasfaserverbindung): Fiber optic connections (Glasfaserverbindung) for business customers enabling secure and fast data exchange in Biel.
7. Smart meter data services: As grid operator, ESB processes 15-minute interval consumption data from smart meters. In pseudonymized form, data is used for grid planning and optimization. Non-pseudonymized data used for billing energy supply and grid usage charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Energie Service Biel/Bienne (ESB) is the municipal multi-utility (Stadtwerk) of the city of Biel/Bienne in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland. It supplies the Biel/Bienne region with electricity, drinking water, natural gas and biogas, and operates district heating and cooling networks. ESB also runs an e-mobility charging network under the eMobiel brand, offers fiber-optic telecom connections to businesses, and provides solar solutions, water analysis, and grid connection services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strom (Electricity Supply) Supply and distribution of 100% renewable electricity to households, businesses, and industrial customers across the Biel/Bienne concession area; ESB also produces electricity in its own hydropower and solar plants.
• Wasser (Drinking Water Supply) Public drinking water supply to approximately 64,000 customers in the region, including water sourcing, treatment, distribution, and a certified in-house water analysis laboratory.
• Gas (Natural Gas and Biogas Distribution) Distribution of natural gas and biogas blends through the regional gas grid to households, commercial, and industrial customers in the Biel/Bienne supply area.
• Wärme und Kälte (District Heating and Cooling) Heat and cold distribution through 13 interconnected district heating/cooling networks in the Biel/Bienne region, supplying residential and commercial buildings with climate-neutral heating.
• eMobiel (E-Mobility Charging) Public electric vehicle charging network and related e-mobility services in the Biel/Bienne region, including charging stations for private customers, businesses, and municipal fleets.
• Glasfaser (Fiber-Optic Connections for Businesses) High-speed fiber-optic internet connections (Glasfaserverbindung) marketed specifically to commercial and business customers in the Biel/Bienne region.
• Photovoltaik (Solar Solutions) Solar PV consulting, planning, installation, and feed-in/buyback offers for private and commercial building owners in the Biel/Bienne region.
• Wasseranalysen (Water Analysis Services) Accredited laboratory services for water quality testing, available to industrial and commercial customers as well as municipal clients.
• Netzanschlüsse (Grid Connection Services) Connection of new buildings and customers to the electricity, water, gas, and district heating/cooling networks, including planning, installation, and commissioning of network connections.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% renewable electricity from regional and national production
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Konsortium EVU BerncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 202629 Bernese energy utilities including ESB formed Konsortium EVU Bern to collectively seek a 5–10% participation in Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG (KWO) via a new joint venture EVU Bern AG, in anticipation of the KWO concession renewal in 2042. The consortium serves ~240,000 end customers, ~1.3 TWh annually, with a combined balance sheet of CHF 1.7 billion and equity of ~CHF 1.1 billion. ESB is one of the founding members.
• Arcmedia AGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2026Arcmedia AG (Klosterstrasse 16, 6003 Luzern) designed and technically implemented ESB's new website launched in April 2026, featuring restructured navigation and improved online processes.
• Topten (with BKW and regional utilities)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026ESB partners with Topten (independent comparison platform) under BKW umbrella along with ~10 regional utilities to offer energy efficiency subsidies for household appliances. Customers buying efficient appliances (refrigerators, dishwashers) receive CHF 40–70 per device. The program covers Bern, Solothurn, Jura cantons and selected Laufental municipalities.
• PEIK (akkreditierte Energieberater)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2026ESB uses accredited PEIK energy consultants within the EffEl (Efficacité Electrique) program to support SMEs in the Biel region with energy diagnostics and implementation of efficiency measures. SMEs with 50–500 MWh annual consumption are eligible.
• Energieverbund Bielersee — various building ownerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Energieverbund Bielersee inaugurated March 2025, supplying ~260 planned building connections with sustainable heating and cooling sourced from Lake Biel. ESB leads this district heating network project with building owners as connected customers.
• Bielersee Kraftwerke AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Joint venture company (Bielersee Kraftwerke AG) operating multiple hydroelectric power plants including Hagneck (opened 2015), Bözingen (since 1992), and Brügg (since 1995). ESB participates in these plants through this joint venture, producing ~138.2 million kWh combined, sufficient for ~36,475 households.
• Argessa AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2017ESB holds a 35% stake in Argessa AG, a pump-storage hydroelectric plant in the Valais region (Wallis). The plant processes run-of-river water from the Turtmann valley and storage energy from Illsee and Meretschiseen, spanning from 2,360 m to 630 m elevation. Pump-storage flexibility enables ESB to address production shortfalls and directly supply Biel end customers.
• EHC Biel/Bienne, FC Biel-Bienne, Bieler Lauftage, TOBS, Lakelive, Trailnet, Bourgkonzerte, Bern Racing TeamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerESB sponsors multiple local sports teams (ice hockey, football, running, motorsport) and cultural institutions (theater, concerts). Sponsorships serve community engagement and brand visibility in the Biel region.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Peers

• Romande Energie:

Broad incumbents

• BKW Energie AG: Largest Swiss energy company, headquartered in Bern, operating across generation, distribution, and services throughout Canton Bern. Broader incumbent: substantially larger portfolio than ESB and partner in Topten efficiency program; comparable in generation mix and Swiss Bernese geography.

Direct peers

• Energie Wasser Bern (ewb): Bern-based municipal multi-utility owned by the City of Bern, providing electricity, water, gas, district heating, and telecom services. Most direct comparable: same Canton of Bern, same multi-utility scope, same regulated municipal ownership structure, and joint member of Konsortium EVU Bern.
• Stadtwerk Winterthur: Winterthur municipal utility (now part of Axpo/Energie 360°) operating in electricity, district heating, and e-mobility. Direct comparable: Swiss Stadtwerk with district heating expansion and EV charging focus.
• IWB Industrielle Werke Basel: Municipal multi-utility owned by the Canton of Basel-Stadt, offering electricity, natural gas, water, district heating, and e-mobility. Direct peer: same Swiss municipal-utility model, same vertical integration across energy and water, same bilingual-region context.
• Services Industriels de Genève (SIG): Geneva municipal multi-utility providing electricity, gas, water, wastewater, and district heating. Highly comparable in scope: vertically integrated Swiss Stadtwerk serving a regional capital with regulated monopoly operations.
• Aare Energie AG (aen): Regional energy supplier serving parts of Canton Bern including the Bernese Seeland and Jura regions adjacent to ESB's territory. Direct comparable: overlapping Bernese geography, similar municipal/regional supplier structure, member of EVU Bern consortium.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ESB_bielbienne
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/energie-service-biel-bienne

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Service Biel/Bienne