The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has called for farmers to be excluded from a proposed extra charge on electricity usage during the peak times of 5:00p.m to 7:00p.m.

The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is proposing to introduce a tariff or surcharge for the peak times of 5:00p.m to 7:00p.m – coinciding with milking time on most dairy farms.

The apparent aim of the tariff is to encourage energy consumers to reduce their electricity consumption and therefore the demand on the national grid.

Speaking this morning (Tuesday, October 4), IFA Dairy chairperson Stephen Arthur said: “Dairy farmers don’t have the luxury of picking the time of day they milk their cows.

“On the vast majority of dairy farms, cows are milked morning and evening, seven days a week.

“Trying to milk cows and cool milk outside of the peak hours of 5:00p.m to 7:00p.m is just not feasible,” he added.

Arthur commented that the proposed charge works on the assumption that an electricity customer can manage their usage between these hours.

“Farmers, and especially dairy farmers, simply cannot do that. If imposed on farmers, these higher electricity costs would drive the cost of food production even higher at a time when farmers are already grappling with cost increases of over 40% in the past year,” the IFA dairy chair said.

Arthur added: “Farmers are not able to bear any further cost increases.”

Concerns around this issue have previously been highlighted in the political sphere.

The proposed charge, or tariff, came up for discussion at the Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action in late August.

Speaking to Agriland after that committee meeting, Senator Tim Lombard said: “The topic of energy security was discussed at length. We were informed that 5:00a.m to 7:00p.m is peak time for energy supply and a proposed tariff will probably be introduced for all customers.

“This is to encourage people to not use energy during peak time. [The tariff] would be 5% for residential users and 12% for commercial users.

“The dairy industry will be grossly affected by this. The majority of milking is done between 5:00p.m and 7:00p.m. [Farmers] do not have the ability to change their farming activity at this time of day. To put an extra charge on this activity would be totally inappropriate.”

Lombard has called on the CRU to revisit its plans to introduce this tariff.

“There was no consideration given to the farming community when they were drawing up these proposals. To say that it is illogical is an understatement,” he added.