MaBis Hub - Future Potential or Investment Grave for Many Small Energy Suppliers?

In recent years, the digitalization of the energy and utilities industry has gained massive momentum. With the recently implemented framework conditions for 24-hour supplier switching and the introduction of modern, API-based web services, the next major change in market communication is now imminent.

What was initially planned as a routine IT update in many companies developed into a digitalization tour de force: All systems had to be adapted, new interfaces established and existing processes rethought. This was an enormous challenge, especially for smaller energy suppliers with limited resources.

The industry is sensing that the next stage of digitalization is imminent after the 24-hour supplier change and now further regulatory requirements - and with it, considerable investment requirements and new learning curves. This also brings the topic of MaBiS-Hub more in focus.

Against this backdrop, the Federal Network Agency launched a consultation process in October 2024 to redesign balancing group billing: the MaBiS Hub. The central idea is to transfer the previously decentralized processes in balancing and the processing of measured values to a centralized platform in the future.

The new draft makes a clear distinction between the provision and aggregation of metered values and balancing and billing. The aim is for a central player (in the MaBiS hub) to take over the aggregation of all balancing-relevant measured values in future and to carry out balancing centrally for all market participants. According to the Federal Network Agency, this model promises a future-proof realignment of processes and a significant reduction in the burden on market partners (source).

A key aspect is that centralization would eliminate a large proportion of the current decentralized EDM systems at distribution system operators. This is explicitly emphasized as a cost advantage in the definition, as local EDM systems are no longer required for balancing purposes.
This would potentially be a noticeable relief for small energy suppliers in particular, who have had to invest considerable resources and IT personnel in the operation and maintenance of these systems. As an IT specialist for the energy and utilities industry, Arvato Systems will be happy to support you with the implementation.

The background to the realignment includes legal requirements from the Metering Point Operation Act (MsbG): From 2030 at the latest, metering and load profiles must be processed in compliance with data protection regulations, i.e. pseudonymized. The existing decentralized processes are increasingly reaching their technical and organizational limits. The MaBiS Hub is intended to create a long-term, centralized solution here.

Although interim solutions have already been implemented in the short term, the Federal Network Agency is focusing on a comprehensive centralization of market communication in the long term.

As sensible as the MaBiS Hub sounds in theory, its practical implementation is a headache for many small suppliers. The introduction of a central platform initially means additional implementation work. It is likely that current systems would have to continue to be operated in parallel for years until the MaBiS Hub is fully effective. This is an enormous task for energy suppliers, who often lack IT specialists. IT experts like those at Arvato Systems are happy to help.

According to a BDEW survey, 74% of municipal utilities consider the high bureaucratic burden to be a major hurdle, followed by insufficient employee qualifications (73%) and a lack of IT resources (71%). These figures illustrate the dilemma: on the one hand, a central DataHub reduce the coordination effort, on the other hand, small municipal utilities in particular often do not have the specialists and systems to manage such a changeover.

The current changeover to 24-hour supplier switching and the replacement of EDIFACT with API-based web services shows just how great the burden is for small IT teams: the parallel introduction of new processes alongside day-to-day business is already pushing many energy and utility companies to their limits.

In addition, there is uncertainty about the consequences of the MaBiS-Hub. For example, despite centralized billing, the financial responsibility for errors and deviations remains with the respective distribution system operator. Experts warn that the current hub draft leads to "incalculable financial risks" for grid operators and brings disadvantages for smaller energy suppliers in particular.

The fear: in the end, small energy supply companies in particular could suffer the consequences - be it through higher balancing energy costs, more complex error analyses or a further push towards market consolidation.

Despite all the caution, the opportunities offered by the MaBiS Hub should not be ignored. If implementation is successful, energy and supply companies could be noticeably relieved in the long term. Routine tasks in market communication would be handled centrally, duplication of work and manual coordination and reworking would be eliminated. This gives local suppliers the freedom to concentrate on their core business and new services - such as innovative tariffs or energy efficiency offers.

It is important that small energy suppliers do not have to manage this change alone. Supply companies are already joining forces in cooperative ventures - true to the motto "You can't do digitalization alone." - or use external IT service providers to manage the digital transformation. Joint solutions or the purchase of software as a service make it possible to shoulder the technical burden without overburdening each energy supplier individually. Partners - from specialized IT service providers to municipal utility mergers - are already moving in the market to pave the way for small energy suppliers into the new hub world.

Ultimately, the type of implementation will determine whether the MaBiS Hub becomes a future potential or an investment grave for small energy and supply companies. If challenges are recognized and tackled at an early stage, the MaBiS Hub can be a further step towards a more efficient, more digital energy industry. However, if the necessary support is not provided, there is a risk of being overwhelmed. One thing is certain: The time until 2030 will certainly pass faster than expected.

With foresight, cooperation and the right support, the MaBiS hub for energy and supply companies can turn from a spectre into a model for success - and live up to its claim of noticeably relieving the burden on market partners.