The Nationalist Party is proposing that with the commissioning of the inter-connector with Sicily (a submarine cable through which Malta would be able to buy electricity from the European grid and which will allow Malta to close down the Marsa power-station), coupled with finishing the installation of smart meters by this year's end, night tariffs for electricity will be introduced in March 2014.
This will be possible because European countries have a surplus of electricity generation during the night, which they are eager to sell at very low prices.
There is also another long-term benefit in introducing night-tariffs. It gives an incentive to both industry and domestic users to run certain electricity-consuming processes during the night, whenever possible. This balances the load difference between day and night, and reduces the peak demand for electricity. In simple words, if certain processes instead of being run during the day are run at night, demand during the day goes down. This means that further investment to increase electricity generation may be postponed while allowing for economic growth.
In fact, even Joseph Muscat agreed with this (at least, until Konrad Mizzi came up with the proposal which has disappeared from their manifesto and which they are already trying to make us forget). Here's what he said in Parliament in 2008 (and again in 2011):
"Dr Muscat proposed the introduction of a cheaper night rate for electricity in a bid to equalize demand throughout the day since this increased power station efficiency and reduced waste.
With such a rate, families would be encouraged to use certain appliances on timer during the night instead of during the day. The same system could be introduced at least for part of industry and for businesses. Similarly, the Water Services Corporation should start operating at night those reverse osmosis plants which were not in residential areas. Water production used a lot of energy and such a measure would increase efficiency at the power stations."
- The Times, 11 November 2008
Quite surprisingly, Joseph Muscat during this campaign has chosen to ridicule the night tariffs, which he himself had supported, and his supporters have blindly followed cue. Apart from being another convenient U-turn to add to his list of mistakes, it is quite ironic that the party which is trying to portray itself as 'more' moderate, progressive and European, is ridiculing what is the norm across the European continent and what is backed up by scientific reasons.
But maybe, it should be expected. For Labour, winning an election seems to be just a game of colours and slogans and not of beliefs.
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