What Works on Lake Zurich does

Werke am Zürichsee AG (WaZ) is a Swiss municipal multi-utility (Querverbundunternehmen) that plans, builds, operates, and maintains integrated infrastructure for electricity, drinking water, natural gas/biogas, district heating, fiber-optic digital services, and wastewater/refuse billing across three municipalities — Zollikon, Küsnacht, and Erlenbach — on the right bank of Lake Zurich, serving more than 30,000 inhabitants. The company is the operating vehicle for networks owned by three separate municipal Netzanstalten; ownership is split Netzanstalt Küsnacht 49%, Netzanstalt Zollikon 39%, and Energie und Wasser Erlenbach AG 12%. It was formed in 2009 via partial merger of the predecessor municipal utilities and holds ISO 9001, 27001, and 14001 certifications. The technical platform spans low- and medium-voltage electricity grids, a Seewasserwerk lake-water treatment facility (75–95% lake-water supply depending on municipality), gas distribution with optional biogas enrichment from Energie 360° AG, district heating networks powered by lake water and wastewater heat recovery (with the new Fernwärmezentrale Riet under construction in Zollikon from May 2025), and an FTTH fiber network in Küsnacht with content delivered via partnership with GGA Maur. Landis+Gyr E450/E570 Smart Meters with PLC (no-wireless) data transmission and integrated M-Bus for gas/water metering are being rolled out under a 2027 Energy Strategy 2050 mandate, with Cablex AG as implementation partner and Sysdex AG operating the Head-End-System and MDM layer.

Revenue is generated through regulated network charges (grid tariffs: e.g., base 5 CHF/month, DT HT 0.1418 CHF/kWh for under-100 MWh households; power charge 10.2 CHF/kW/month for ≥100 MWh commercial), usage-based water and gas billing (quarterly combined invoicing), subscription district heating, subscription fiber (Digitalanschluss at CHF 27.90/month incl. VAT), DarkFibre point-to-point connectivity for high-volume business customers, hardware sales via the EW-Laden retail storefront, and service-fee revenue from wastewater/refuse billing on behalf of municipalities plus WaZ-OnSite EVG/vZEV settlement and HKN buyback (2.0 Rp./kWh from 2027) for solar prosumers. The go-to-market is sales-led direct to ~30,000 residents and local commercial customers within the franchise, supported by a customer portal, on-site energy advisory, and the EW-Laden retail channel; partner GGA Maur resells premium digital packages on top of WaZ fiber. Tariff products include Mixstrom, three Naturstrom tiers (basic, star, solar), and Vivostrom, alongside a 6–15% 2026 electricity price reduction driven by lower procurement costs. No specific revenue figure is disclosed in the available source material.

Name

Works on Lake Zurich

Legal name

Werke am Zürichsee AG

Website

https://werkezuerichsee.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Werke am Zürichsee AG is a Swiss municipal multi-utility operating integrated electricity, water, gas, district heating, fiber, and wastewater-billing infrastructure across Zollikon, Küsnacht, and Erlenbach, serving over 30,000 inhabitants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multi-Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply (221330)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro primary industry

Onsite/Decentralized Reuse Utilities (District/Building‑Scale Reuse as a Service) (EUANAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Commercial & Industrial (C&I) Demand Response (HVAC, Refrigeration, Process Loads) (EUAFAGAB)

Keywords

• Municipal utility services
• Electricity distribution
• Drinking water supply
• District heating
• Fiber optic network

Headquarters

HQ city

Küsnacht

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electricity Distribution & Supply: Regulated electricity distribution network operations plus energy supply to end customers in Zollikon, Küsnacht, and Erlenbach. Revenue from network usage charges (grid tariffs) and energy commodity sales. Electricity tariffs (2026) include dual-time (DT), single-time (ET), heat pump, and temporary supply tariffs. Standard household DT tariff: base charge 5 CHF/month, HT energy 0.1418 CHF/kWh, NT energy 0.1048 CHF/kWh. Grid power charge 10.2 CHF/kW/month.
2. Water Supply: Drinking water production and distribution (via lake water works and spring water sources) to households and businesses across all three municipalities. Revenue from water consumption charges, billed quarterly alongside electricity.
3. Gas & Biogas Distribution: Natural gas distribution with optional biogas enrichment. Biogas sourced from Energie 360° AG, produced via biomass fermentation. Three biogas tariff variants available. Gas prices for 2026: ~0.65 Rp./kWh increase from prior year. CO2 levy currently 2.156 Rp./kWh.
4. District Heating (Fernwärme): Renewable heating energy delivered via underground pipe network. Powered by lake water heat and wastewater heat recovery. New Fernwärmezentrale Riet under construction (spade cut May 7, 2025) for Zollikon. District heating helps replace fossil heating systems contributing to municipal 2040 climate neutrality goals.
5. Digital Services (Internet/TV/Telephone): Basic digital connectivity services (internet, TV, radio, landline telephone) delivered over owned fiber network in Küsnacht, with premium content/services bundled via GGA Maur partnership. Digitalanschluss (basic package) priced at CHF 27.90/month incl. VAT. DarkFibre dedicated lines offered to high-volume business customers.
6. EW-Laden (Electrical Retail Store): Physical electrical goods retail storefront in Küsnacht selling energy-efficient appliances and lighting. Also offers KoFE (Kommission für Energieeffizienz) device trade-in and subsidy management. Promotes energy efficiency to residential customers.
7. Wastewater & Waste Collection Billing: Billing administration service for municipalities Zollikon, Küsnacht, and Erlenbach for wastewater and waste/kehricht charges. Invoiced quarterly alongside water bills. Revenue from fee collection on behalf of municipalities.
8. WaZ-OnSite EVG/vZEV Settlement Services: Billing, measurement data acquisition, and debt collection services for solar prosumers in Eigenverbrauchsgemeinschaft (EVG) and Virtueller Zusammenschluss zum Eigenverbrauch (vZEV) arrangements. Revenue from service fees per published price list.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Werke am Zürichsee AG is a municipal multi-utility company (Querverbundunternehmen) that delivers electricity, drinking water, gas/biogas, district heating, and fiber-optic digital services (internet, TV, telephone) to the municipalities of Zollikon, Küsnacht, and Erlenbach on the right shore of Lake Zurich. It also operates an electrical retail store (EW-Laden) and provides energy consulting, smart meter infrastructure, GIS/cadastral mapping services, and wastewater billing administration on behalf of the three municipalities.

Product overview

Werke am Zürichsee AG is a multi-utility company (Querverbundunternehmen) providing essential infrastructure services to the municipalities of Zollikon, Küsnacht, and Erlenbach on the right shore of Lake Zurich. Formed in 2009 through merger of community utilities, it operates six core business areas: Water Supply (Wasserversorgung), Electricity Supply (Stromversorgung), Gas/District Heating (Wärmeversorgung), Digital Network for Internet/TV/Telephone, plus an electrical retail shop (EW-Laden). The company also provides Smart Meter infrastructure (Landis + Gyr E450/E570), operates a customer portal for account management, offers energy consulting services, and provides geo-informatics/planning services. Self-consumption solutions (WaZ-OnSite) enable solar energy sharing through EVG and vZEV models. Electricity tariff products include Mixstrom, Naturstrom variants (basic, star, solar), and Vivostrom. Smart Meter rollout is managed by Cablex AG with data management by Sysdex AG. The company is ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 27001 certified.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stromversorgung (Electricity Supply) Electricity distribution and supply for Zollikon, Küsnacht, and Erlenbach including network operation, maintenance, and public lighting. Offers tariff products including Mixstrom, Naturstrom (basic, star, solar), and Vivostrom.
• Wasserversorgung (Water Supply) Drinking water supply for the municipalities of Zollikon, Küsnacht, and Erlenbach from the Seewasserwerk lake water treatment facility and spring water sources.
• Wärmeversorgung (Heating Supply) Gas supply with optional biogas enrichment and district heating network (Fernwärme) operation using lake water as regional energy source. Biogas sourced through Energie 360° AG. Services Zollikon and Küsnacht.
• Internet / TV / Telefon (Digital Services) Fiber-based digital network (FTTH) for internet, TV, radio, and landline telephone in Küsnacht. Includes DarkFibre point-to-point connections for business customers with high data volumes. Partnered with GGA Maur for content services.
• Abwasserentsorgung (Wastewater Billing) Wastewater and refuse fee billing on behalf of municipalities. Quarterly invoicing combined with water bills for Zollikon, Küsnacht, and Erlenbach.
• Smart Meter Service Smart Meter installation and management service using Landis+Gyr E450/E570 intelligent electricity meters with Power-Line-Communication (PLC) data transmission and integrated M-Bus for gas and water meter reading. Free for customers per Swiss Energy Strategy 2050 mandate.
• Energieberatung (Energy Consulting) Free energy consultation service for homeowners, property managers, and tenants in Zollikon, Küsnacht, and Erlenbach. Covers renewable energy, efficient energy/water use, heating transition, PV systems, heat pumps, and e-mobility.
• Geoinformatik / Planauskünfte (Geo-Informatics)
• EW-Laden (Electrical Retail Store) Electrical retail shop in Küsnacht offering energy-efficient appliances and lighting. Provides advice and sells devices eligible for KoFE rebates up to 180 CHF.
• WaZ-OnSite (EVG/vZEV Solar Community Service) Self-consumption settlement service for solar energy including Eigenverbrauchsgemeinschaft (EVG) and virtual EVG (vZEV). Enables shared solar power consumption within buildings or across multiple buildings connected to the same distribution cabinet.
• Stromproduzenten (Electricity Producers Service) Services for solar and renewable energy producers including feed-in tariffs, origin certificate (HKN) sales, and quarterly settlement. Vergütung based on reference market price set by Swiss Federal Office of Energy (BFE).
• Flexibilitäten (Flexibility Management Service) Grid-friendly control of electrical loads including electric boilers, heat pumps, and storage heaters via ripple control. Manages network load reduction and peak avoidance through automatic device switching.

Quantifiable outcome

• Electricity prices reduced 6–15% for standard customer groups in 2026, driven by lower energy procurement costs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GGA MaurcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for digital services in Küsnacht: WaZ operates the fiber network infrastructure and delivers the basic package (internet, TV/radio, landline telephone). GGA Maur provides content (TV/radio signals), Beratung, sales, premium service packages, and customer support. GGA Maur also conducts signal level measurements for quality assurance. Customer service shared: GGA Maur handles sales and Beratung for premium packages; WaZ handles infrastructure.
• Cablex AGcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSelected as implementation partner for Smart Meter rollout across all three municipalities. Cablex AG is responsible for appointment scheduling, electricity meter replacement, and M-Bus installation connecting gas and water meters to Smart Meters. All work is free for customers. Contact: [email protected].
• Landis + Gyr AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationSelected via open procurement (Submissionsverfahren) as Smart Meter supplier. Delivers E450 and E570 Smart Meter models. Company based in Cham, Switzerland, with over 125 years of experience in energy management solutions. Also supplies the Zählersteckklemme (meter plug-in clamp) enabling no-power-interruption meter replacement.
• Energie 360° AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationBiogas supplier for WaZ's biogas product range. WaZ purchases regionally produced biogas (from biomass fermentation) which is upgraded to natural gas quality and fed into the gas network. Energie 360° AG is also the contact for gas pipeline infrastructure information (transport pipelines) in the Planauskünfte (cable mapping) system.
• Sysdex AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationService provider managing WaZ's Head-End-System (data collection from Smart Meters) and Meter-Data-Management (MDM) system. Based in Dübendorf, Switzerland. Handles encrypted Smart Meter data transmission, data concentration, and integration with billing/customer portal systems.
• Pronovo AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationSwiss federal agency managing Herkunftsnachweis (origin guarantee, HKN) system for renewable energy. WaZ purchases HKN from certified PV operators via Pronovo platform. Pronovo also administers the one-time feed-in remuneration (EVS/KEV) subsidy program for solar installations.
• Gossweiler Ingenieure AGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides wastewater pipeline mapping data (Geodaten) for Erlenbach and Küsnacht municipalities. Also the designated contact for official surveying data (amtliche Vermessung) in Küsnacht. Contact: [email protected].
• Holinger AGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnical consultant for wastewater infrastructure inquiries in Küsnacht. Provides technical information on wastewater pipeline networks. Located at Seestrasse 19, 8700 Küsnacht.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stadtwerk Winterthur: Swiss municipal multi-utility providing electricity, gas, water, district heating and digital services to Winterthur. Direct comparability on integrated multi-utility operations and municipal mandate structure.
• Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB): Swiss municipal multi-utility (electricity, water, heat, telecom) serving Basel. Comparable in multi-utility breadth, municipal ownership and the integration of regulated and commercial services.
• Energie Wasser Bern (ewb): Swiss multi-utility (electricity, water, gas, heating, telecom) owned by the City of Bern, serving Bern with similar regulated multi-utility structure and municipal ownership model.
• Wasserwerke Zug: Swiss municipal water utility providing potable water and related services to the Canton of Zug. Comparable in lake-sourced water supply, activated-carbon treatment and small employee footprint with municipal ownership.
• Energie 360°: Swiss multi-utility providing natural gas, biogas, district heating and mobility services; the company is also a biogas supplier to Werke am Zürichsee. Comparable in renewable gas/heat portfolio and Swiss regulated utility structure.

Regional players

• Romande Energie: Swiss electric utility serving the Canton of Vaud with growing multi-utility services. Comparable on Swiss regulated utility model and renewable energy initiatives, but French-speaking Switzerland.
• SAK (St. Gallisch-Appenzellische Kraftwerke): Swiss regional electricity and energy-services utility serving St. Gallen and Appenzell. Comparable on smart-meter infrastructure deployment and energy-services expansion, but operates in a different geography.
• EBL (Genossenschaft Elektra Baselland): Swiss cooperative utility serving the Basel-Landschaft region with electricity, heating and telecom. Comparable in cooperative/municipal governance and small-utility focus, but in a different canton.
• AEW Energie AG: Swiss regional energy utility in Aargau providing electricity, heating, telecom and energy services. Comparable multi-utility breadth and dependence on regulated Swiss utility regulation, though geographically separated.

Broad incumbents

• EKZ (Elektrizitätswerke des Kantons Zürich): Cantonal electric utility serving all of Canton Zurich, including a strong district-heating subsidiary. Closest geographic incumbent to Werke am Zürichsee's service territory and competes for renewable heating and grid infrastructure mandates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Works on Lake Zurich