Energie Thun AG

What Energie Thun AG does

Energie Thun AG is a Swiss regional multi-utility (Aktiengesellschaft) wholly owned by the City of Thun, serving the Thun area in the canton of Bern with electricity, natural gas and biogas, district heating, and drinking water. The company traces its operations back to the first municipal electricity plant in Thun in 1896 and was reconstituted as Energie Thun AG in 2001. Reported FY2025 revenue was CHF 107.7 million, with EBITDA of CHF 13.5 million (annual profit CHF 1.8 million) and CHF 21.0 million of investment.

The portfolio spans generation and distribution across all four utility streams. Generation assets include the Aarewerke run-of-river hydroelectric plants (44.6 GWh in 2025), other water-power plants (31.8 GWh), and solar installations (62.4 GWh in 2025), all naturemade star certified. Distribution infrastructure comprises 135 transformer stations, smart metering with 15-minute interval consumption data transmitted hourly to a Head End System, and a district heating network of approximately 14 km sourced from the KVA Thun waste-to-energy plant through a partnership with AVAG Umwelt AG. Water is sourced and treated through shareholder WARET AG (25% springs, 75% groundwater). Customer-facing technology includes an online customer portal with two-factor authentication, eBill integration, and a 24/7 AI chatbot ('Tinu') powered by a RAG system on Microsoft Azure OpenAI.

The business model is direct-to-customer unit pricing across both residential (Privatkunden) and commercial/industrial (Geschäftskunden) segments in Thun, Goldiwil, Schwendibach, Homberg, and surrounding districts. Revenue streams combine volume-based tariffs (electricity Hochtarif/Niedertarif, tiered gas, tiered water consumption) with annual basic/fixed charges (e.g., district heating kW capacity, water meter-size-based basic fee) and ancillary connection and construction-site-power services. Supply is sold through multiple branded electricity products (GRUNDPFUUS, THUNPFUUS, Thuner Solarstrom, Thuner Aarestrom, Blau Strom, Thuner KVA Strom, Grau Strom) and gas/biogas blends, with procurement via Gasverbund Mittelland AG on the European market. No external investors or venture funding are involved; the company is municipally owned and reinvests cash flow into local generation, network expansion, and sustainability programs such as the Ökofonds environmental fund.

Name

Energie Thun AG

Legal name

Energie Thun AG

Website

https://energiethun.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Energie Thun AG is a municipally owned Swiss regional multi-utility in Thun providing electricity, natural gas/biogas, district heating, and drinking water to residential and business customers, operating its own run-of-river hydro and solar generation plus a growing waste-heat district heating network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Multi-Utility Services

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Hydroelectric Power Generation (221111), Electric Power Generation (22111), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Natural Gas Transmisison & Distribution (4923), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Microgrid, DER & Building Electrification Energy Controls (Solar/Storage/EV Load Orchestration) (BPABAGAJ)

Keywords

• Electricity supply
• District heating
• Drinking water supply
• Natural gas distribution
• Energy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Thun

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electricity Sales: Sale of electricity including various products: GRUNDPFUUS (standard), THUNPFUUS (certified regional), THUNER SOLARSTROM, THUNER AARESTROM, BLAUSTROM, THUNER KVASTROM, GRAUSTROM, and Swiss hydroelectric power. Revenue from energy delivery, network usage, measurement, and legally mandated charges.
2. Gas Sales: Sale of natural gas, biogas, and mixed products. Includes working price for gas product and basic price for gas pipeline operation. Part of biogas sourced from ARA Thunersee.
3. District Heating (Fernwärme): Sale of district heating from waste heat of KVA Thun. Customers pay working price per kWh and annual basic price per kW capacity.
4. Water Supply: Sale of drinking water from regional sources (25% springs, 75% groundwater). Revenue from basic fee based on meter size and consumption-based fee per cubic meter.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Energie Thun AG is a municipal multi-utility serving the Thun region of Switzerland with electricity, district heating, natural gas/biogas, and drinking water. The company operates its own generation assets, including run-of-river hydroelectric plants (Aarewerke), solar installations, and a district heating network fed by waste heat from the KVA Thun waste-to-energy plant. It also offers grid connection services, energy consulting, and digital self-service tools (customer portal, smart metering, and an AI-powered chatbot).

Product overview

Energie Thun AG operates as a regional multi-utility provider serving Thun, Switzerland with an integrated portfolio of energy and water services. The core offerings are electricity supply (with GRUNDPFUUS standard and THUNPFUUS certified regional products), district heating from KVA Thun waste heat, natural gas/biogas, and potable water. Supporting services include solar energy systems, energy consulting (GEAK, impulse consultations), smart metering, connection/infrastructure services, and a customer portal for self-management. Advanced offerings include virtual self-consumption communities (vZEV), ZEV/LEG management platforms, and the AI chatbot 'Tinu'. A dedicated Ökofonds sustainability program and promotion programs for heating transitions complement the portfolio. The customer portal provides self-service access to contracts, billing, and consumption data, while the chatbot offers 24/7 AI-powered support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electricity Supply (Strom) Electricity supply with tiered products including GRUNDPFUUS (standard Swiss hydropower, waste, and solar mix) and THUNPFUUS (certified regional power from local Aarewerke and solar, naturemade star certified), delivered to residential and commercial customers in the Thun region.
• District Heating (Fernwärme) Sustainable heating delivered via an approximately 14 km underground network, sourced from waste heat of the KVA Thun waste-to-energy plant, providing space heating, hot water, and industrial process heat to connected buildings in Thun and Uetendorf.
• Water Supply (Wasser) Potable water supply sourced 25% from springs and 75% from groundwater, distributed without chemical treatment across Thun, Goldiwil, Schwendibach, and Homberg, with metered consumption billing.
• Natural Gas and Biogas Natural gas supply with options for biogas blends (partially sourced from ARA Thunersee wastewater treatment plant). A working price covers the gas product and a basic price covers pipeline operation. CO2 levy applies to natural gas; biogas is exempt.
• Solar Energy Systems Solar installation services including planning, consultation, installation, operation, and financing. All solar installations are naturemade star certified.
• Energy Consulting Advisory services including GEAK (Cantonal Building Energy Certificate), GEAK Plus, and Impulse Consultation for renewable heating transitions and efficiency improvements, targeted at private and business customers.
• Connection Services (Strom/Wärme/Wasser) Grid connection services for new buildings and renovations covering electricity, district heating, gas, and water connections, including installation inspection and temporary construction site connections (e.g., Construction Site Power Box - BAZK).
• Virtual ZEV (vZEV) Virtual Self-Consumption Community allowing multiple buildings to share locally produced solar power across different locations, with automatic measurement, allocation, and billing processes administered by Energie Thun.
• ZEV / LEG Management Management platform for Self-Consumption Communities (ZEV), Virtual ZEVs (vZEV), and Local Electricity Communities (LEG), including contract creation, measurement, allocation, and billing processes operated via the Swisspower LEGhub platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 36.1 GWh annual hydroelectric production from Aarewerke
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• WARET AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWARET AG is a shareholder company that handles water production - pumping water from springs and groundwater, storing in reservoirs, and providing necessary treatment. Energie Thun distributes water in Thun, Goldiwil, Schwendibach, and Homberg.
• AVAG Umwelt AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership with AVAG Umwelt AG to utilize waste heat from the waste-to-energy plant (KVA Thun) for district heating network, reducing energy waste and providing sustainable heating to the region.
• MicrosoftsupportingTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft Teams used for phone conferences, online meetings, and video conferences. Azure OpenAI service used for AI chatbot 'Tinu' operations.
• GooglesupportingTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Analytics 4 for web analytics, Google Tag Manager for tag management, reCAPTCHA for bot protection, and Google Maps for location services.
• Dimando Digital SàrlsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnical operator for the digital assistant chatbot 'Tinu'. Acts as a contracted data processor.
• WeLoveYou AGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWeb agency that designed and developed the Energie Thun AG website.
• Swisspower AGsupportingTechnology or IntegrationSwisspower operates the LEGhub online platform used for processing Local Electricity Community (LEG) applications and management. Energie Thun uses LEGhub for vZEV and LEG administrative processes.
• Pro Natura BernsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for Ökofonds environmental projects including Gwattmoos biotope maintenance and Allmendingenbächli renaturation projects.
• Gasverbund Mittelland AGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNatural gas procured jointly with other suppliers through Gasverbund Mittelland AG on the European market.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BKW Energie AG: Large Swiss energy provider with generation, distribution, and services across Bern/Canton. Overlaps on regional distribution and renewable generation but operates at national scale across broader service territory.
• Repower AG: Swiss-based energy company with hydroelectric generation, distribution, and trading across Switzerland and Italy. Comparable as a Swiss operator with hydro generation roots and regional distribution, though with cross-border scale.
• Axpo Holding AG: Switzerland's largest producer of renewable energy and major grid operator. Comparable as a vertically integrated Swiss energy provider with hydro generation and distribution, though materially larger and broadly diversified.

Direct peers

• IBC Energie Wasser Chur: Municipal utility for the city of Chur (Graubünden) providing electricity, water, and heating. Closely comparable as a smaller Swiss multi-utility operating in a defined regional service area with similar commodity mix.
• EWL Elektrizitätswerk Liechtenstein: National Liechtenstein utility providing electricity, gas, water, and district heating. Comparable as a regional Alpine multi-utility serving a defined territory with similar product breadth.
• Energie Wasser Bern (ewb): Swiss municipal multi-utility serving the city of Bern with electricity, gas, water, and district heating. Highly comparable across product portfolio (multi-commodity utility), customer segments (residential + commercial), and ownership structure (city-owned).

Others

• Swisspower AG: Swiss alliance of municipal utilities (Energie Thun is a customer of their LEGhub platform). Adjacent rather than competing — provides shared services and platforms that Energie Thun and similar municipal utilities consume.

Regional players

• Elektrizitätswerk Davos (EWD): Municipal utility for Davos providing electricity, district heating, and water. Highly comparable operating model (municipally-owned multi-utility serving a single Swiss Alpine community) though smaller in scale.
• Centralschweizerische Kraftwerke (CKW): Regional Swiss electricity provider serving central Switzerland with generation, distribution, and energy services. Comparable as another Swiss regional multi-utility with renewable generation assets, though in a different geographic region.
• Stadtwerke München: German municipal multi-utility providing electricity, district heating, gas, and water in Bavaria. Comparable business model (city-owned integrated utility with significant district heating), operating in a different national market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/energiethun
• Facebookfacebook.com/energiethun
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/energie-thun-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Thun AG