Local authorities have been urged not to follow the Republic of Ireland and introduce surcharges on using electricity at the peak of the day.
he Commission for the Regulation of Utilities in the Republic has proposed introduction of a tariff between 5pm to 7pm.
However, Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has cautioned any introduction of a peak electric tariff in Northern Ireland would be financially damaging for the dairy farming sector, which would typically conduct their first milk early in the morning and their second during the peak hours.
“It’s not an option for them to change this,” said Kenny Hawkes, dairy committee chair, UFU. “The proposed charge in RoI is to encourage electricity customers to manage their usage between these hours to lessen the demand on the national grid and the risk of blackouts this winter.
“However, farmers, and especially dairy farmers, cannot not rearrange their farming day to avoid peak use of electricity as milking times are best suited to the dairy herd and milking system.
“Last week, UFU senior dairy policy officer attended the latest meeting of the CBI NI Energy Forum. The consensus was that there is no likelihood of black outs here despite having an ‘all-island’ electricity grid. The dynamics do differ between NI and the ROI in terms of energy use.
“Soaring production costs coupled with the cost-of-living crisis is already impacting farmers’ confidence around food production as we move towards what is shaping up to be a very tough winter.
“The last thing farmers need is for NI authorities to agree on a move that will increase electricity costs at a time when charges are already at record level and cannot be absorbed any further.”
