Your prof has outdated information.

TOU (Time of Use) rates are becoming more and more common.

In 2019, TOU rates will be the default rate structure for new accounts in California. Many more states are following suite.

Even if they're not the default, tons of places have opt-in TOU structures. EV owners and home storage owners use this a lot.

Some states have even already adopted complicated shit only seen in C&I customers: demand charges. Basically, a portion of your bill will be dependent on your peak demand during a period (ie peak kW, not total kWh).

Here (in Estonia) the pricing changes every full hour. We get pricing for the next day (24h) a day before by 14 (2 pm). This is calculated from weather forecast, expected consumption and available generation resources. This is for residential use. For industrial applications you can buy electrical energy from the grid based on 15 minute pricing slots. Almost all the houses are equiped with online readable power meters.

I think this is the way things are moving in other jurisdictiins as well. In case of Germany and France one of the reasons why the systems have mot been upgraded lies in the privacy rules for the power consumption data according to one smart meter manufacturer.

> In case of Germany and France one of the reasons why the systems have mot been upgraded lies in the privacy rules for the power consumption data according to one smart meter manufacturer.

Not just that, in addition the smart meters cost a bunch of money to install... people don't like paying anything very much.

This.

Norway is going all-in on smart meters, installation has been rolled out this year to ~80% of the country, due to reach 100% next year. The total installation cost is estimated at around 2.5 billion USD for around 2.2 mill. houses, i.e $1000 per house. Which of course we as consumers will be paying for through higher electricity prices.

When I lived in New York State in the mid 1990s, there was time-variable electricity pricing. Being a grad student, I exploited it to do my dishes and clothes after peak hours to save money. Eventually I put my water heater on a timer. I think the rate differential was significant (order of $.07/kWh vs. $.11/kWh).

This is still the case, see: http://www.nyseg.com/YourHome/pricingandrates/daynighrate.ht...

Perhaps you misinterpreted the scope of applicability of what the professor said.

This is not true. (It is for some plans and some locations, but not all.)

I have a plan which charges significantly less during off peak hours.

Interesting (and probably by design) I had to opt out of such a plan when I signed up for "100% renewable energy" with my plan.

This professor has no idea what they're talking about. Every energy supplier I know of in my area offers an off peak discount specifically tailored to electric vehicles.

That depends on the country. In Germany the only discounts I know are for people using electric central heaters which heat up over night (Nachtspeicherofen).

Something as modern as time-variable tariffs... not gonna happen soon here.

I don't think it is un-classy to downvote a comment that is substantially untrue.

Definitely not the case in California. Everyone is on a smartmeter now, and adding an electric car charger will both give you a $500 rebate and put you on variable pricing.