If you go to a restaurant for a meal, you own nothing after that, but you can be happy. If you go to an entertainment park, you own nothing after that for your ticket, but you can be happy.
Making customer happy is an extraordinary valuable service one can provide, and that doesn't have to require connection with materially owning anything.
Australian grids are already talking about removing all per-kWh tariff and shift all the cost to fixed supply fee. The government rejected it probably because it doesn't make them look good, and it makes poor people pay more. But it's probably just time before that comes.
Australia has that as well, the wholesale market changes price every 5 minutes, but it is a big ask for average consumers to follow that price and shift power usage in real time.
> it is a big ask for average consumers to follow that price and shift power usage in real time.
I could imagine appliances that take that into account. e.g. an airconditioner that works harder during the cheaper periods. I wonder whether any retailers pass through the 5 minute pricing variation? Should be easy enough to monitor the price and adjust my AC via the infra red remote protocol.
We have Amber Electric which pass through the 5 minute pricing, and I personally have a lot of automations on Home Assistant based on it. But TBH it doesn't make much difference and it may not even make sense. The price just doesn't move in the way you may find it useful.
For example, in an average sunny summer day, the midday price is usually close to free, and you can have you AC on for several hours. But the price starts rising from 3~4pm, but if you turn off the AC at this point, the room temperature would also start rising quickly at the hotest time in a day.
Also, in winter days (now), the price could be at a relatively high level for all day around almost every day in a week, but you still have to use it regardless.
It is the spring and autumn that most of day time has free electricity but it is also the time you need the least of power.
If you go to a restaurant for a meal, you own nothing after that, but you can be happy. If you go to an entertainment park, you own nothing after that for your ticket, but you can be happy.
Making customer happy is an extraordinary valuable service one can provide, and that doesn't have to require connection with materially owning anything.