Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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184. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department examined polices on dynamic electricity off peak-pricing to incentivise and lower the operational costs of EVs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41687/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Dynamic Tariffs are one example of a service which enables consumers to benefit from being more flexible in how they consume electricity. Smart meters and smart infrastructure provide the essential foundation for the delivery of the benefits of the energy transition and are a key enabler for the participation of energy consumers. Smart meters support the migration to a carbon free electricity network and support smart grids, e-driving, e-heat and micro- and small-scale generation. To date, approximately 2 million smart meter exchanges have taken place. However, for energy consumers to benefit most, simply having a smart meter is not enough.

In 2023, my Department established the Smart Energy Services working group which seeks to build on the success of Ireland’s National Smart Metering Programme by developing measures to empower Ireland’s citizens to play a central role in the energy transition. The working group was established under the CAP23 with the objective of developing ‘measures and policy that facilitate and empower consumers to benefit from engagement in the energy transition, through active participation in the energy market and flexible demand management services’.

CRU held a public consultation on implementing dynamic tariffs in early 2024 and published a decision in September 2024. This requires suppliers with over 200,000 customers to offer a dynamic price tariff by June 2026. However, it should be noted that time-of-use tariffs, enabled by the smart meter rollout, have been a feature of the Irish electricity market since smart services went live in 2021. Many suppliers offer tariffs specifically designed for EV charging, by providing electricity at low rates during the night. These tariffs can significantly reduce the operational cost of electric vehicles.