Ms Aoife MacEvilly:

This is the kind of option that smart meters will facilitate. They will be able to record how much electricity is being exported, which just is not possible through the current metering system, and suppliers will be able to receive the data. The smart meters will also match the supplier and the customer's home with the wholesale market, it will be possible to link with the half-hourly price on the wholesale market. People will be able to see the pattern from when electricity was exported and what the price was, effectively, in that period. It can be fed through. The smart meters are the enablers but there may be other actions that need to be completed in market methods to enable suppliers to offer that process. We are happy to work on that because we know there is a real appetite to do it and we know it is part of the Citizens' Assembly agenda. There will be a real benefit. It is worth stating that for most customers in a domestic setting who invest in solar photovoltaic systems, a majority of the benefit will arise from them avoiding the purchase of electricity. I am not sure what will be the value of exported electricity. From the idea of equity, we will work towards people obtaining the wholesale price.