A farm organisation has called on the government to require electricity suppliers to provide a guaranteed "ultra-low" night tariff.

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) rural development chair, Edmond Phelan said that customers are not "properly benefiting from periods of surplus electricity, particularly from wind and other renewable generation".

“People are being encouraged to switch to electric vehicles and use night rates for charging, but in many cases the structure of tariffs means any saving at night is offset by higher daytime prices," Phelan said.

"A guaranteed ultra-low night rate would ensure that consumers benefit from using electricity when it is most available and demand is lowest."

Phelan said government should require all electricity suppliers operating in the Irish market to "provide a mandatory four-hour ultra-low-cost window between 2:00a.m and 6:00a.m".

Reduce costs

“If suppliers want to operate in the Irish market, they should be required to provide a guaranteed four-hour ultra-low-cost window at night," the rural development chair said.

“This would allow households to shift electricity use into the night when demand is low, particularly for electric vehicle charging, water heating and appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers.

"It would reduce costs for families and make better use of the renewable electricity we are already producing."

'Practical step'

He said this is a "pracitcal step" that would cut costs for households, reduce waste in the system, and ensure people benefit properly from the electricity already available.

"While measures such as the Fuel Support Scheme will provide some relief for a limited time, a guaranteed ultra-low night rate would deliver ongoing savings for all households," Phelan added.

"We need to use every available measure to bring down electricity costs."