Its been a philosophy of Pinergy since the brand was launched into the Irish market nearly a decade ago.
We have been advocating for energy customers to ‘use less’ or ‘reduce your use’ of electricity. It can’t be always about negotiating a discount.
Energy is a resource, not a commodity as we have all learnt in the last 12 months. Simply put using less energy is good for your pocket and good for the planet.
What has made Pinergy different is that we provide the data and insights to all our customers down to 30 minute intervals. On an App or a Portal, our customers can see the difference that they are making.
So was 2022 a tipping point?
The current energy crisis has its origins in the early Covid enforced lockdowns of 2020 and the re-opening of the economy in 2021, but certainly the war in Ukraine caused energy prices to rise and become even more volatile.
We have seen media coverage over 2022 of the energy sector increase by a factor of 5 to 6 times what it was in 2021, and much of the news flow around energy was negative. This has caused concern for many on household budgets but also created a stronger awareness of energy consumption and usage like never before. Never waste a crisis to make change!
Indeed, over 2022, we have seen engagement with our App increase. More logins, more visits mean more interest in how energy is being used in the home.
Residential consumption fell by 7% year on year in 2022
Our data shows that typical residential consumption in 2022 is down around 7% on 2021 and also on 2020 data. Higher energy costs has to be a key driver of reduced consumption but awareness of daily energy use is also a contributory factor for many Pinergy customers. Being able to see your own energy spikes and troughs has helped.
Only in December 2022, did we see a month on month increase, and this was most likely due to lower temperatures in early December when the mercury regularly fell below zero for a 10 day period.
Every day seems the same!
Daily consumption per day continues the path of 7% reductions. With each Day having a very similar pattern of consumption and reduction. Interestingly, there appears to be slightly higher consumption at weekends.
What does the outlook look like?
Whilst wholesale prices appear to be retreating somewhat in the last few months, the outlook remains uncertain and pricing will continue to be volatile. Whilst Pinergy has announced a residential price decrease, pricing remains elevated for a range of issues.
Hopefully, more conscious consumption of energy will continue and become the norm. We’ll continue to advocate for more awareness of consumption and making real change for a sustainable energy future.
