ELECTRICITY SUPPLY COMPANIES may be charged more for their customers to use electricity between 5pm and 7pm this winter to avoid severe pressure on the electricity grid. 

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has launched a two-week consultation with energy suppliers and industry on how they might reduce their energy usage. 

Dr Muireann Lynch, energy economist with the ESRI, said it remains to be seen whether the cost increase will be passed onto households.

“Obviously the first thing they’re going to want to do is for us to reduce our usage. And then for any remaining charge they face, is essentially a question of how they recoup that charge,” she told RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland.

“Do they do it through a fixed portion of people’s bills, or do they adjust the tariffs?”

The measures are due to be in place by October 1st, Dr Lynch said.

She said the CRU will also target large energy users on how energy usage can be reduced.

Its plan will be to encourage larger users to plan their electricity usage in advance so that hours can be targeted for when there is more renewable energy available. 

There is also the potental they will be incentivised to delay increasing their energy usage for the winter.

“So this is to try to target those sectors of electricity usage that are not only large but that are growing and made to give them an incentive to hold off on the growth for this winter is possible,” Dr Lynch said.

Social Democrats Climate Spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore said that consumers should not bear the financial cost of the government “rolling out the red carpet for data centres”.

“Under no circumstances should ordinary consumers pay any financial penalty for the State’s failure to do the bare minimum – keep the lights on,” she stated.
 

“It has been clear, for a long time, that Ireland’s antiquated electricity infrastructure is not sufficient to cater for the huge demands placed on it by data centres. Now, the country is paying the price for the government’s failure to listen.”

The Journal originally reported on the proposed power plants in April, with EirGrid at first seeking for the two emergency plants to be up and running by winter.

However it will take 15 months for the first of these to be built, as reported earlier this month.