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Danes are happy to go off-peak
Through the test, SEAS-NVE wished to find out whether it would be possible to make the participants change their behaviour and shift some of their consumption of electricity from the peak time between 17:00 and 20:00 (also called the cooking peak) to other times of the day. Measurements performed both before and after the test. ”Win with new electricity habits” showed that over the course of the yearlong test, the test participants moved 19 percent of their electricity consumption from the ”cooking peak” to the free of charge period between 20:00 and 06:00. This is a significant result.
”This is a very interesting finding – as we now have documentation demonstrating the extent to which our members can and will change their habits when offered variable electricity prices within fixed price intervals. The results form the basis for deciding which responsible measures we should consider implementing to change the load on the electricity grid in the years to come,” explains Kristina Fløche Juelsgaard, development manager at SEAS-NVE.
The test is the first of its kind in Denmark in recent years. Compared with international experiences, the test ”Win with new electricity habits” sets a record. The results of similar tests abroad typically show that the introduction of variable prices can move between 2 to 10 percent. Through moving a fifth of the electricity consumption away from the ”cooking peak”, the equivalent of five percent of the total electricity consumption during the test period, the results of “Win with new electricity habits” stand out from all previous test results.
During the test period spanning 1 October 2013 to 30 September 2014, the test participants were invoiced according to the below prices over the day:
- 06:00-17:00, DKK 1.50/kWh
- 17:00-20:00, DKK 8.00/kWh
- 20:00-06:00, DKK 0.00/kWh
The test also shows that not only was electricity consumption moved away from the “cooking peak” – the test participants also changed their electricity consumption during the day. Over the test period, five percent of the total electricity consumption was moved away from the daylight hours to the free of charge period between 20:00 and 06:00.
The changed consumption pattern of electricity meant that, on average, the test participants saved DKK 830 over the year the test lasted. On average, the total annual consumption of the test participants did not change. However, large variations in the electricity consumption of the individual households were found.
You can read more about the project at SEAS-NVE’s website, www.seas-nve.dk/elvaner.