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What is an energy community?

Simply put, an energy community is a group of at least two participants for the shared production and use (consumption, storage, or sale) of energy. 

Energy communities are based on the new Renewable Energy Expansion Act (EAG).

In Austria, there are three different models for implementing the shared use of one or more energy generation facilities:

Grid Levels and Energy Communities in Austria

A Citizen Energy Community (BEG) is an energy community where participation is not limited to a specific geographical area. Therefore, BEGs can extend across the concession areas of all grid operators throughout Austria.

A BEG operates only in the electricity sector, and the electricity can come from both fossil and renewable sources. Profit generation is not the primary focus. BEGs are intended to bring ecological, economic, and social community benefits to their members. Participation is voluntary. Companies of all sizes are permitted to participate.

Austrian Citizen Energy Communities are founded based on sections 16b, 16d, and 16e of the Austrian Federal Act “Electricity Industry and Organization Act 2010 (ElWOG 2010).”

Any owner of a metering point (generation or consumption facility) can participate in the Citizen Energy Community:

  • Private households

  • Farmers

  • Companies (of all sizes!)

  • Municipalities

With multiple metering points participating:

  • Participants in GEA

  • Participants in EEG

To create a unique and fair Austrian energy market for all participants. 100% green electricity from photovoltaic, hydro, and wind power plants is supplied directly to our consumers by our regional producers at non-profit prices. Profit generation is not the primary focus.

Our Energy Community AUSTRIA (BEG) is organized as an independent area of activity (sector) within our eco-social cooperative FAMILY OF POWER. (like our areas of activity / sectors e-carsharing, POWER TAXI, etc.)

The Sector Council is the governing body, and the Sector Assembly is the gathering of all participants. The rules of procedure ensure professional and cooperative operations.

The rules of procedure of the Energy Community AUSTRIA (BEG) sector regulate the legal and organizational structure of the BEG within the framework of the provisions of the founding document and statutes of FAMILY OF POWER SCE mbH.

Download, fill out, print, and sign the BEG form “ENERGY AND POWER SUPPLY AGREEMENT” and send to buergerenergie@familyofpower.at

Download, fill out, print, and sign the BEG form
“AGREEMENT on the EXISTENCE and USE of the ENERGY GENERATION FACILITY” and send to buergerenergie@familyofpower.at

For the purpose of energy law, allocation, and billing treatment of energy consumption in connection with the BEG's energy generation facilities, a calculated allocation of a dynamic share of the generated energy to the respective consumption facilities of the participating grid users has been agreed upon with the grid operators.

Yes! Every BEG participant becomes a member of the FAMILY OF POWER cooperative. (in accordance with § 16b Para. 2 ElWOG)

PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS pay a one-time fee of € 24 (€ 12 for a PRIVATE business share + € 12 activation fee)

BUSINESSES pay a one-time fee of € 132 (€ 120 for a BUSINESS business share + € 12 activation fee)

Upon withdrawal from FAMILY OF POWER, membership is terminated, establishing the right to repayment of the business credit or business share: € 12 for PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS, and € 120 for BUSINESSES.

There are no ongoing membership fees.
There are no ongoing metering point fees.

Every BEG participant, as a member of the FAMILY OF POWER cooperative, is liable only for the simple value of their business share(s).

No! – All existing electricity contracts (feed-in or supply contracts) remain unchanged.

During times when the ENERGY COMMUNITY does not receive/supply electricity, I will continue to supply/receive surplus/residual electricity through my existing electricity contracts as usual.

 

If the participant has confirmed the additional agreement in the network operator service portal and a Smart Meter is already installed, then the meter readings will be transmitted to the ENERGY COMMUNITY from the following day.

If no Smart Meter is yet installed, after registering with the ENERGY COMMUNITY, the network operator will install the Smart Meter, establish stable communication, and activate the quarter-hourly readings.

The credit notes / invoices are automatically sent by email between the 21st and 30th calendar day of the second following month.

Payment for my electricity consumption from the ENERGY COMMUNITY is made automatically 1 to 5 calendar days after receiving the invoice, through direct debit by the ENERGY COMMUNITY using the SEPA direct debit mandate I provided.

The transfer for my electricity supplies to the ENERGY COMMUNITY is made automatically 6 to 10 calendar days after receiving the credit note, to the account I specified.

Any participant with one or more consumption metering points can terminate their participation with a notice period of 4 weeks, effective at the end of the month.

Any participant with a feed-in metering point can terminate their participation after the 1-year fixed term has expired, with a notice period of 8 weeks, effective at the end of the month.

How do I book my desired vehicle?
After registering, you set your password, which allows you to log in to the website at any time. Once logged in, you will see your unlocked vehicles directly on the homepage. Click on your desired vehicle to access the booking calendar. There, you can see when you and others have already booked the selected vehicle.
Extend your booking online. You can do this at any time during your trip. Please consider other e-carsharing users who might be checking the calendar and wish to book the vehicle spontaneously, and try to plan as accurately as possible. By booking, you commit to returning the vehicle to its designated parking spot within the booked period. Failure to do so, or not extending your booking, can result in penalties, including the suspension of your account. If you are unable to extend your booking or forget to do so, please inform us as quickly as possible via email or phone to avoid penalty fees. Always remember that someone else might have booked the vehicle after you and needs it urgently. You expect to find the vehicle on time, preferably fully charged, at the parking spot, so please do the same for others and stick to your booked time slot.
If you have a booking, you can open the vehicle from the start of your booking. Billing is rounded up to the next quarter hour – even if you drove just 1 second longer, it will be rounded up to the next quarter hour. For example, if you booked until 3:00 PM and return the vehicle at 3:01 PM, you will be charged until 3:15 PM.

Generally, you use the car key to drive. However, this key is located inside the locked vehicle. Therefore, you open the vehicle with your card for the first unlock. This not only deactivates the central locking system (as with the car key) but also the immobilizer. Therefore, if you unlock with the key after having locked with the card, you cannot drive off because the immobilizer is activated. This ensures the correct use of the card and provides additional theft protection.
By using the card, you authenticate yourself – similar to using your login details on the website. You log in at the start and log out at the end.
For each booking, you will need your card exactly twice. Once at the beginning of your trip to unlock (at the parking spot) and once at the end of your trip to lock (at the parking spot).
You can extend your current trip online at any time.
If you are unable to extend your trip because it would overlap with a subsequent booking, please notify us immediately so we can contact the next user in good time about the delayed return of the vehicle.

Upon new registration, you will receive an RFID card for e-carsharing use. You can always use this card. Additionally, in your profile, you will find a link with step-by-step instructions on how to activate your own RFID card (e.g., ATM card or university ID card) for e-carsharing. All you need is a smartphone with an internet connection to access your profile on the go.

If your card already has an integrated RFID chip (as is the case with most ATM cards, for example), you can activate and use your card for e-carsharing via your profile without any extra effort.

However, if you want to use any card without an RFID or NFC chip or even your mobile phone to unlock and lock the FAMILY e-Cars, you can purchase an RFID sticker from any provider for approximately 5 Euros. You can then stick this sticker onto your mobile phone, card, or key fob and activate it like a normal RFID card  via your profile for e-carsharing use.

This means you could even use your mobile phone to unlock your booked e-car without an internet connection.
When choosing an RFID sticker, it's best to consult an expert and describe your specific use case. For your security, these RFID stickers should generally be pre-written (meaning they already have a "Unique ID") and not re-writable ("readonly").

The rental duration is rounded up to the nearest quarter-hour for billing. To know when you used the vehicle, we record when you unlocked and locked it with your card. You can ONLY end your current trip with your card. Therefore, if you forget to lock with your card, your current trip will NOT be ended and will continue to be charged. Furthermore, you may incur penalty fees if you exceed your booking time. The vehicle is only available to others once you have locked it with your card. If you do this exactly within your booked period, only the booking time will be charged. If you lock the vehicle with your card only after the booking has ended, the charged time will be rounded up to the next quarter-hour. Example: You book from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and you unlock the vehicle with your card at 3:02 PM and lock it at 5:02 PM, then you will be charged from 3:00 PM to 5:15 PM. It is your responsibility to check online using the billing preview to ensure everything worked correctly and to contact us by phone or email in good time (before the end of the month) if you have any questions.

It is very likely that the RFID card was held over the card reader on the windshield for too long, causing the vehicle to lock again while a door was already open (due to a delay) – which, if the driver's door was already open, activates the immobilizer. Your profile shows whether the immobilizer is active or not!
"Current trip" means → the immobilizer is deactivated and starting is possible!

Solution: Close the door, then hold the card over the card reader again, BEFORE the ignition is activated, this will deactivate the immobilizer and allow the car to start.

Not everyone has their own charging card or wants to sign a separate contract. Even if you're a one-time or infrequent user, you can still charge your vehicle at our stations. Charging at the e-carsharing location is included, and for when you're on the go, here are some
possible providers:


Kelag: To start the charging process with direct payment, follow these steps: Scan the QR code at the e-charging station, select the desired charging point on the mobile website, enter your payment details, and plug in the charging cable. The costs will be displayed beforehand.


SMATRICS: Drive to the charging station and register via the SMATRICS App or the website for the Direct NET Tariff. Payment is made via Mastercard or Visa. After each charge, the customer receives an email receipt for the respective charge and a clear consolidated invoice once a month.


Energie Steiermark: Download the app from the App Store, select your location, and choose 'Direct' as the payment method for PayPal, credit card, or eps transfer.


WIEN ENERGIE: With the free Wien Energie Tanke app, you can find available charging stations even faster and pay directly through the app. Choose the charging card and Tanke tariffs to have the charged amount conveniently paid monthly via payment slip or direct debit. Alternatively, you can opt for Direct Payment and pay directly at the charging station with your Visa or Mastercard credit card.

ElectroMobilitatsClub – ONE charging card for many charging points!
The EMC club card also functions as a "charging card" across Europe. It's like a purchasing community that allows members to charge at many stations throughout Austria at special rates, and also across Europe.
For more information, please visit their website: https://www.emcaustria.at

What is WeizBike?

WeizBike is a bicycle and e-bike sharing system provided by the municipality of Weiz. It is available to both locals and tourists in Weiz and St. Ruprecht an der Raab.

No, unfortunately, that is not possible. The city of Weiz operates the WeizBike system through its own booking platform, which is provided by FAMILY OF POWER but requires a separate registration. To rent a bicycle, you need to create your own WeizBike account.

Over 120 bicycles are available, including around 70 e-bikes. These are distributed across approximately 15–16 stations in Weiz and St. Ruprecht/Raab.

Both classic city bikes and modern e-bikes are available. You can check the battery status of the e-bikes in advance using the WeizBike app.

  • To the App

  • Register with your email, password, and a valid ID (passport, driver's license, or identity card).

  • Create profiles – up to four users per account are possible (ideal for families).

  • Select a bicycle and, if needed, reserve it up to 30 minutes in advance.

  • Borrow, ride, and return it to any WeizBike station.

  • The first hour per ride is free.

  • Up to 3 hours per day are free.

  • Each additional hour costs €1.

Yes, you can reserve a bicycle up to 30 minutes in advance using the app.

Both residents and visitors can use the service. An account can include up to four profiles – ideal for families.

  • A valid ID (e.g., passport, driver's license, or national ID card)

  • An email address and a password

  • Optional: create additional user profiles (max. 4 in total)

In the app, you can see the current battery level of each e-bike and choose one with enough battery.

Returns are only possible at official WeizBike stations within the service network (Weiz & St. Ruprecht/Raab).

The system is operated by the municipality of Weiz and supported as part of a regional mobility project.

Couldn’t find the answer you were looking for?

We are happy to help you in person.

FAMILY OF POWER

Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

T: +43 463 20355
M: +43 699 1612 0010

Energy Community

Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

M: +43 699 1612 0030

Car Sharing

Emergency Hotline 24/7

M: +43 699 1612 0010

POWER TAXI

Murau, Lungau, Klagenfurt
M: +43 699 1612 0015

Patient Transport
M:+43 699 1612 0016

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