No Advantage Day And Night Rate Electricity

The savings for using electricity at night and at daytime are negligible. This is the conclusion from price comparing website energieleveranciers.nl, among 10,000 customers.

Almost 25 percent of the Dutch wait till after 11.00 pm or for the weekend starts to put on the washing machine or the dish washer and so be able to use the cheaper rate during these times. On average it seems now that the advantage is only 10 cents per week. About 1 percent of the people reaches a savings of 30 euro per week, while 20 percent of the people pays even more.

Negligible advantage

The lower rate at night was introduced in 1960. Main reason was the technological situation at that moment. To spread the use of electricity was to avoid peaks and also made it possible to operate the coal plants continuously. According to Martijn Boelhouwer of Netbeheer Nederland (power net management), this is not necessary anymore and if there would only be one rate the effects on the power supply chain would be minimal.

Campaign for one rate

By switching back to one rate energieleveranciers.nl wants to simplify energy bills and contracts and also make life for many people easier. Leon Cappel of energieleveranciers.nl heard from an older man that his wife was going to bed later than him to be able to use the lower electricity rate after 11.00 pm. “It was very disappointing to these people that they only saved 10 euro a year.”