Possible Effects on Customers’ Bills Table 2 Hypothetical effects on bills for different groups and possible policy response at peak times Response of customers to alternative tariff No demand response No or minimal demand Responds by Additional possibility (may be due to response (due to decreasing of overall reduction in unwillingness to inability to change consumption at peak consumption change consumption behaviour) time patterns or apathy) Consumer has lower Possible overall bill Possible lower overall Possible lower overall Possible but less likely – proportion of their due to lower prices at off bill due to lower prices at bill due to lower prices at as electricity cheaper at consumption at peak peak times off peak times off peak times off peak times times Education campaign and Hardship provisions and None required although General policy aimed at Additional policy response provision of direct concessions may be consideration needs to be increasing energy information to triggered for vulnerable given to measures that efficiency consumers on their consumers ensure the response is energy usage may reduce maintained Energy efficiency policies apathy aimed at this group to Low consumption at enable demand response peak time makes DLC less attractive Consumer has average Likely increase in bill Likely increase in bill Effect on bill is Possible that some of the consumption at peak ambiguous lower peak consumption is times consumption at peak reduced permanently times could be offset by (e.g. air conditioner higher prices on the usage) remaining peak consumption Additional policy Education campaign and Hardship provisions and None required although General policy aimed at response provision of direct concessions may be consideration needs to be increasing energy information to triggered for vulnerable given to measures that efficiency consumers on their consumers ensure the response is energy usage may reduce maintained Energy efficiency policies apathy aimed at this group to Could be a potential enable demand response target for DLC or associated products to shift extra load Consumer has higher Almost certain increase Almost certain increase Effect on bill is Likely that some of the than average in bill in bill ambiguous lower peak consumption is consumption at peak consumption at peak reduced permanently times could be offset by times higher prices on the remaining peak consumption Additional policy Education campaign and Hardship provisions and None required although May be specific energy response provision of direct concessions may be consideration to be efficiency policies aimed information to triggered for vulnerable given to measures that at this group consumers on their consumers. ensure the response is energy usage may reduce Understanding of why maintained apathy this group has high peak load but is unable to A strong target for DLC respond (e.g. medical or associated products to reasons)– concession shift extra load regimes may need to be reframed to ensure this group is protected Energy efficiency policies aimed at this group to enable demand response
Possible Effects on Customers’ Bills Table 2 Hypothetical effects on bills for different groups and possible policy response at peak times Response of customers to alternative tariff No demand response (may be due to unwillingness to change consumption patterns or apathy) No or minimal demand response (due to inability to change behaviour) Responds by decreasing consumption at peak time Additional possibility of overall reduction in consumption Consumer has lower proportion of their consumption at peak times Possible overall bill due to lower prices at off peak times Possible lower overall bill due to lower prices at off peak times Possible lower overall bill due to lower prices at off peak times Possible but less likely – as electricity cheaper at off peak times Additional policy response Education campaign and provision of direct information to consumers on their energy usage may reduce apathy Hardship provisions and concessions may be triggered for vulnerable consumers Energy efficiency policies aimed at this group to enable demand response None required although consideration needs to be given to measures that ensure the response is maintained Low consumption at peak time makes DLC less attractive General policy aimed at increasing energy efficiency Consumer has average consumption at peak times Likely increase in bill Likely increase in bill Effect on bill is ambiguous lower consumption at peak times could be offset by higher prices on the remaining peak consumption Possible that some of the peak consumption is reduced permanently (e.g. air conditioner usage) Additional policy response Education campaign and provision of direct information to consumers on their energy usage may reduce apathy Hardship provisions and concessions may be triggered for vulnerable consumers Energy efficiency policies aimed at this group to enable demand response None required although consideration needs to be given to measures that ensure the response is maintained Could be a potential target for DLC or associated products to shift extra load General policy aimed at increasing energy efficiency Consumer has higher than average consumption at peak times Almost certain increase in bill Almost certain increase in bill Effect on bill is ambiguous lower consumption at peak times could be offset by higher prices on the remaining peak consumption Likely that some of the peak consumption is reduced permanently Additional policy response Education campaign and provision of direct information to consumers on their energy usage may reduce apathy Hardship provisions and concessions may be triggered for vulnerable consumers. Understanding of why this group has high peak load but is unable to respond (e.g. medical reasons)– concession regimes may need to be reframed to ensure this group is protected Energy efficiency policies aimed at this group to enable demand response None required although consideration to be given to measures that ensure the response is maintained A strong target for DLC or associated products to shift extra load May be specific energy efficiency policies aimed at this group
National-Smart-Meter-Customer-Protections-EMRWG-FINAL.docx