Remember J-tariff?

April 22, 2025

J-tariff was am off-peak circuit which charged a cheaper rate to encourage the use of electricity during low demand, largely at night. When coal-powered alternators were unable to shut down, they were run during uneconomical periods of low demand. Mostly at night.

Now the uneconomical times are during the day and the power providers want to charge the solar providers (householders) to add to the grid. I doubt if they are charging corporate solar providers.

Providers have never had more flexibility in the electronic and telecommunications control of equiptment eg J-tariff had mechanical/electrical time clocks.

In the age of capitalism and neoliberalism, rather than encouraging local householders by the use of a modern form of J-tariff, companies cry poor, threaten loss of jobs, cuts to campaign funds, journalists trumpet the line and the public react. The politicians fall in line and the taxpayers pay up.

If I remember correctly, J-Tariff was a thing set up by public utilities. Private utilities are greedy. It seems there are two ways to solve a common problem.