TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS has said the 82% Pinergy price increase for its electricity night rate is “extraordinary”. 

When put to Harris in Cork on Friday that this will directly impact those that charge their electric vehicles overnight, he said clarity must be provided to regulators as to the rationale behind the price hike.

He said it’s important that the government move to provide greater transparency in the energy market.

A lot of work has been done by the government when it comes to the motor insurance industry, where information is provided about the price of somebody’s premium, he said. 

“I think more Irish people are wanting to understand more and see the composition of the charges that they face,” he said. 

The government is examining structural ways of reducing the costs that families and businesses face in relation to energy, said Harris, stating that part of that is the transition to green energy.

A statement from Pinergy said that over the past six years, it has seen a significant increase in the adoption of new technologies and changes in how people use electricity in their homes.

“EV charging, the use of solar panels and the ability to export unused electricity back to the grid have changed how households consume energy.

Following a review of its residential offering, Pinergy said it believes that the “time is now right” to update the pricing to better reflect current market conditions and the costs of delivering these services.

Pinergy told The Journal the particular tariff adjustment is confined to a relatively small number of customers, around 1800. 

The National Energy Affordability Task Force

The National Energy Affordability Task Force is due to conclude its work shortly, the Tánaiste confirmed, stating that he also met with the Minister for Energy Daragh O’Brien last week on the issue.

“I’ve asked officials in my own department to look at the best economic levers available to Ireland to reduce our energy bills. It is true that structurally the energy costs in this country are too high, and I think it’s frustrating for the public, let alone the government,” he added. 

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Harris said people can get an “awful fright” and have “an awful fear” when they get a large bill.

“But we’ve got to do better than that as policymakers. We’ve got to really try to see what structurally we can do to drive down those energy costs. I think there are a number of options that could materialise, and certainly structurally reducing the cost of energy will remain a focus for the budget, which is now just in 96 days time,” said Harris. 

Reacting to the announcements of price hikes, Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore said this week two of Ireland’s household energy providers, Electric Ireland and Yuno Energy are starting to charge an additional €250 to €300 every year for their customers to heat and power their homes.

“Today, Pinergy announced that it would be raising its night rate by a staggering 82%. This hike will take a toll on those who charge electric vehicles or solar panels overnight, households who took the government’s word and committed to sustainable alternatives,” she said.