Hey Irish EV/energy twitter: @ESBecars highlight price advantage of "night rate" home charging, but carefully neglect two important issues...
@ESBecars To access night rate one must have a night rate meter installed - which significantly increases the fixed standing charge - AND choose NightSaver plan which increases the unit rate for ALL "daytime" units. None of this appears to be reflected in their media info?
@ESBecars Secondly: @ESBNetworks is rolling out "smart meters" as we speak. These effectively eliminate the need for night meters. Electricity providers COULD offer arbitrary time-of-day tariffs. And no basis in physical infrastructure for different (higher) standing charge.
@ESBecars @ESBNetworks But ... apparently, "smart tariff" offerings based on smart meters will not be available anyway (from any provider) before 2021!
@ESBecars @ESBNetworks So ... the effect of @ESBecars advice to use NightSaver rates NOW is to encourage households to arrange night rate meter installations that MUST BE REMOVED AGAIN anyway, to be replaced by more functional smart meters, within 2-4 years...
@ESBecars @ESBNetworks Even though a direct jump to a smartmeter, coupled with IMMEDIATE availability of time-of-day tariff plans (and abolition of predatory "standing charge" premium!) would be cheaper and technically better.
@ESBecars @ESBNetworks I know this is not all (or even mostly) in the remit of @ESBecars. It is surely primarily an issue for @UtilityregCRU? But at face value this all seems like a severe failure or any kind of joined up, strategic, thinking...
@ESBecars @ESBNetworks @UtilityregCRU But ... if I am completely missing something here, I would be delighted to be corrected! @ESBecars @UtilityregCRU @ESBGroup @ElectricIreland @SEAI_ie #climatecouncil #DTTAS #DCCAE @RichardbrutonTD @Shane_RossTD
