Former Energy Minister Suggests Reducing Hidden Energy Costs

[snoop1130]

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - Sontirat Sontijirawong, a Energy Minister and a core member of Sarng Anakot Thai Party, has suggested that the administration reduce hidden energy costs in order to address the ongoing issue of high fuel prices.

 

During a press briefing, Sontirat voiced concern over the local energy situation, believing the issue was becoming increasingly difficult to manage. He stressed that energy prices directly affect living costs and business operations.

 

The former energy minister also urged the government to do more to address the issue beyond subsidizing petrol and gas prices. He has floated an idea of importing crude oil and refining it locally, believing Thailand’s refinery sector has sufficient capacity to facilitate domestic consumption.

 

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He further advised the administration to reduce the excise tax for crude imports and introduce a carbon tax. He said the move will also promote the use of green energy, while earning Thailand “carbon credits” that will provide a smoother path for exports to European nations.

 

A carbon tax is a fee imposed on the burning of carbon-based fuels, such as coal, oil and gas. The tax is a core policy for reducing and eventually eliminating the use of fossil fuels whose use creates destabilizing emissions and contributes to climate change. A carbon credit is a permit that allows the owner to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gasses. One credit allows the emission of one ton of carbon dioxide or equivalent in other greenhouse gasses. The carbon credit is half of a so-called "cap-and-trade" program.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-03-22

 

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[Will B Good]

15 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

He has floated an idea of importing crude oil and refining it locally, believing Thailand’s refinery sector has sufficient capacity

If this is possible and achieves a reduction in prices why haven't they been doing this anyway?

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The former energy minister also urged the government to do more to address the issue beyond subsidizing petrol and gas prices. He has floated an idea of importing crude oil and refining it locally, believing Thailand’s refinery sector has sufficient capacity to facilitate domestic consumption.

Go for it.

[Sydebolle]

I'm not a tree hugger nor a do-gooder but even I could only wonder ...... I finished building a house with huge roof space a few clicks out of a smaller city in E-Sarn and placed the house according to the axis of sun, general wind direction etc. = in short, take the best architectural approach as far as saving energy (mainly cooling of premises) is concerned. Among an roof allowing winds going through the roof 24/7 and high ceilings inside the house I also wanted to put up some solar cell panels. 

As competent advice is rare, it at all available, in the land of smiles I thought of putting up panels only, i.e. without batteries, computers etc. as the latter might shout "headache" and "difficult". Yet, in a country with +/- 250-280 sunshine days, solar power might make sense. 

I calculated it up and down, from left to right, and could not make (financial) ends meet for various reasons. Firstly you need an approval to produce, on your property, solar electricity - the "Crystal Maze" is easier. The energy produced during sunny daytimes results in peaks which are higher than your own consumption and hence it would be an idea to feed the surplus into the public power grid (to be installed by a professional who knows what (s)he is doing). For this you need a license which is almost impossible to get and, of course, the approval - apart from the installation costs to be borne by you. 

Ultimately I gave up and keep using the power supplied by the provincial electricity authority. In a country with, as mentioned more sunshine days that most other places, I could have easily produced my entire daytime needs (i.e. air conditioning, swimming pool pump, washing machine, ironing etc.); with selling the surplus at a nominal tariff below their sales tariff I could have run this on cost-recovery basis. It was not to be and, unless you offload 90% of the bureaucracy combined with the tariffs and duties on this imported equipment, it will remain a hobby for the selected few. Some other countries with harsher conditions (i.e. Germany or Switzerland) have governmentally-sponsored programmes and very interesting tax incentives to promote this renewable energy source in a much more challenged natural environment - go figure! 

[Pique Dard]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

to reduce the excise tax for crude imports and introduce a carbon tax.

...spontaneously, i feel like reducing tax on one hand and introducing a new tax on the other hand won't change anything

[Muhendis]

3 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Firstly you need an approval to produce, on your property, solar electricity

That's a new one.

Currently you can install your own solar electricity for your own purposes and don't need to ask anyone's permission.

What approval are you talking about?

[Sydebolle]

7 hours ago, Muhendis said:

That's a new one.

Currently you can install your own solar electricity for your own purposes and don't need to ask anyone's permission.

What approval are you talking about?

In Nong Khai it is the PEA Provincial Electricity Authority - as per their answer to my question there. 

[Muhendis]

17 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

In Nong Khai it is the PEA Provincial Electricity Authority - as per their answer to my question there. 

This sounds very strange to me.

Could you possibly remember the wording of your question and the person you asked?

[Sydebolle]

20 hours ago, Muhendis said:

This sounds very strange to me.

Could you possibly remember the wording of your question and the person you asked?

No, this is almost four years ago and I went without solar energy and used the money in electricity-efficient white goods instead. 

Same with TOU (Time of Use) electricity meters. These digital meters allow billing according to the time of usage, i.e. cheaper nighttime and weekend tariffs over higher daytime weekday tariffing.

Had it in my restaurant in Pattaya more than ten years ago; in Nong Khai it was unheard of and there was no way to move those dinosaurs to read the brochure I had brought along from PEA in Pattaya. 

A TOU would make it attractive to all those with regular high(er) electricity consumption to cap the peaks; a swimming pool pump or filling a water tower could be done during night time ....... if there is an incentive ???? 

[jacko45k]

15 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

A TOU would make it attractive to all those with regular high(er) electricity consumption to cap the peaks; a swimming pool pump or filling a water tower could be done during night time ....... if there is an incentive

Is the demand profile such that it would be particularly beneficial? I understand industry consumption would be mostly daytime, but domestic, for me, is mainly at night, when I have AC on, and as you say, pool pump running. 

[Sydebolle]

6 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Is the demand profile such that it would be particularly beneficial? I understand industry consumption would be mostly daytime, but domestic, for me, is mainly at night, when I have AC on, and as you say, pool pump running. 

Well, the restaurant's bill dropped from 45'000 to 12'000, my residential bill (three bedrooms, kitchen, washer, pool etc.) from 7'500 to 2'200. The upgrade of the meter was (official) 20'000 - go figure ....

[jacko45k]

6 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

Well, the restaurant's bill dropped from 45'000 to 12'000, my residential bill (three bedrooms, kitchen, washer, pool etc.) from 7'500 to 2'200. The upgrade of the meter was (official) 20'000 - go figure ....

I did not know they employed 'night-rate' consumption charges in Thailand... certainly no evidence of it here in Pattaya area.

I do have a digital meter now.

Edited March 25, 2022 by jacko45k

[Muhendis]

8 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I did not know they employed 'night-rate' consumption charges in Thailand... certainly no evidence of it here in Pattaya area.

I do have a digital meter now.

PEA web page dated June 2019

 

https://www-pea-co-th.translate.goog/ข่าวสารประกาศ/ข่าวประชาสัมพันธ์/ArtMID/542/ArticleID/119801/คำชี้แจงเกี่ยวกับอัตราค่าไฟฟ้า-TOU?_x_tr_sl=th&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

 

TOU tariff or time of use tariff (TOU Tariff) is a tariff that reflects the cost of generating electricity, divided into two periods:

 

          Peak : 9:00 am – 10:00 pm Monday - Friday and Plowing Day

 

          Off-Peak : Time 22.00 – 09.00 Monday - Friday and auspicious plant day

[jacko45k]

7 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

PEA web page dated June 2019

 

https://www-pea-co-th.translate.goog/ข่าวสารประกาศ/ข่าวประชาสัมพันธ์/ArtMID/542/ArticleID/119801/คำชี้แจงเกี่ยวกับอัตราค่าไฟฟ้า-TOU?_x_tr_sl=th&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

 

TOU tariff or time of use tariff (TOU Tariff) is a tariff that reflects the cost of generating electricity, divided into two periods:

 

          Peak : 9:00 am – 10:00 pm Monday - Friday and Plowing Day

 

          Off-Peak : Time 22.00 – 09.00 Monday - Friday and auspicious plant day

Interesting, although I am not sure if I qualify... probably not.....

The TOU tariff is an elective rate for all types of electricity users except medium-sized electricity users. big business and specific businesses that started using electricity since November 2015, including temporary electricity If any electricity user wishes to apply for the TOU tariff, they must submit a request at the Provincial Electricity Authority. and pay expenses as specified by the Provincial Electricity Authority.

 

Am  I 'medium sized'? And I was certainly using electricity before Nov 2015 at my current place. How does the peak tariff compare to the non-TOU rates?

You seem to have done well wrt savings!

[Sydebolle]

19 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I did not know they employed 'night-rate' consumption charges in Thailand... certainly no evidence of it here in Pattaya area.

I do have a digital meter now.

Do not quote me on the exact amount but:
+/- 4 Baht unit  (kw/H?)
from 6am to 10pm on work days (Mondays to Fridays) 
+/- 1 Baht unit 
from 10pm to 6am on weekends and public holidays 
See the PEA office in Na Kleua for details; maybe meanwhile they have something on their (formerly terrible) website. 

At my restaurant we ran the industrial dishwasher after 10pm and any dishes requiring simmering in the ovens for hours were done during weekends daytime. 30,000 Baht savings stood against  hundreds of pizze or pasta dishes as this amount affects the net profit - or the reduction of it! 

Not knowing the consumption curve of a hotel/guesthouse I would assume that the peak is certainly covering 10pm to 6am when all the air conditioning is running. If you do the laundry and ironing of a bigger hotel at night, you're talking again massive savings in an arguably very competitive environment.