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Duncan Campbell (posted 2026-07-28) argues that pricing electricity at…

2026-07-28 · 13:11 UTC ·@duncancampbell ·0 min read

Brief

Duncan Campbell (7/28/2026) defends charging electricity closer to its actual cost, saying consumers needn't actively manage consumption — average bills won't rise and users can keep behaving as usual — and that suppliers or utilities can provide intermediary programs. He links Matthew Yglesias' Slow Boring article arguing marginal-cost/time-varying pricing would lower most bills but faces political resistance.

Why it matters

Duncan Campbell (posted 2026-07-28) argues that pricing electricity at closer-to-real-time or marginal cost "doesn't mean grandma needs to day trade power": customers can continue normal usage and, on average, their bills will not be higher.

Key details

  • Campbell links Matthew Yglesias' Slow Boring piece ('A great idea that everyone hates'), which claims marginal-cost/time-varying pricing could reduce most customers' bills, be implemented quickly without impairing new investments, and that utilities/suppliers can act as intermediaries to internalize changes.
Source evidence

And keep in mind this doesn’t mean grandma needs to day trade power: 1) you can just act as your normally do. On average your bill won’t be higher. 2) Your supplier/utility can be the intermediary that provides solutions to internalize this.

Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias)

There's a well-known, well-understand measure that could reduce almost everyone's electricity bills and rates and be implemented quickly without impairing new investments.

Naturally, everyone hates it and rejects it out of hand.

slowboring.com/p/a-great-ide…

Link

A great idea that everyone hates

A simple way to bring down utility bills is to charge what the electricity actually costs
slowboring.com

— https://nitter.net/mattyglesias/status/2082045856451027381#m