To Activate Or Not Activate The Smart Meter ??

It is a gamble every year but Energypal will even those odds. Everyone will have a unique scenario so it’s impossible really to make suggestions for someone else. I still haven’t activated the smart meter and am doing extremely well from day/night rate.
 
One of the little things that used to annoyed me before and now that I'm back with Airtricity I've had to get used to again
Is when I give them a meter reading at the end of the month and after they have asked me to provide it
That when the bill does arrive in a week later, they have added and estimated gas usage to the gas reading I provided
It's not something I recall Bord Gais and don't remember it been so with Energia
And obviously isn't an issue with the smart electricity bill except for now I don't have a start and end figure just a usage

Anyhow I was away for the meter reading at the end of April so couldn't give them a reading so got an estimated bill
I never really thought about it after that, entered the figures on my spreadsheet and thought that seems high
But then thought sure it will be adjusted on the next bill so I forgot about it until today when the next bill arrived
To say I was surprised is an understatement, I'm actually in credit by €35 for the combined gas and electricity bill
That's how much they overestimated my last gas bill !!!!!

So word of warning to others always provide a meter reading to avoid been overcharged
 
ClubMan said:
This thread is about electricity and smart meters - not gas.
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Very true @ClubMan it is about MY journey of activating MY smart meter and also the the different plans and providers I have and will use
So I thought rather then starting a new thread about my experience with Airtricity I mistakenly posted here
So sorry about that but if the moderators feel that I've taken MY own thread off topic, they can delete my post :)
 
I have a smart meter but I am on a 24 hour unit rate plan.
There is no such thing as free electricity, or lunches.
 
Cervelo said:
That when the bill does arrive in a week later, they have added and estimated gas usage to the gas reading I provided
It's not something I recall Bord Gais and don't remember it been so with Energia
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While it seems there are a number of old threads resurrected recently, just to chip in that Energia still do ask for Gas readings. I could be incorrect but my previous house gas meter was replaced as it was 20+ years old, not that it was being replaced by a smart gas meter similar to leccy. As per documented here.

In a small attempt to keep the original thread on topic, I've had numerous contacts from Circet about replacing the Leccy digital day/night meter with a Smart one in my new home over the past 2 months. Including a walk up asking can they replace the meter there and then, you can guess what the answer was. ;)

Smart Day/Night meter replacement arranged for this Friday....
 
Sarah Ryan said:
There is no such thing as free electricity, or lunches.
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I would agree with you here,
My own research in post #80, the yearly price difference between the BG smart plans (STD, Free and EV) was only €165
Yes a €165 is better off in your pocket then theirs but over the year it's not something that your really going to feel in your pocket
It seems to me that all the plans been offered are designed to keep you paying in and around the same no mater which plan your on

But it wasn't always like that, AFAIK when I started this thread back in 21" and definitely when I switched on the smart meter in 22'
There was "Free Electricity" with the plans on offer and IIRC there was only 3 plans standard, free electricity Sat or Sun and the EV plan
The EV plan had it's own set of rates and a different higher ASO but the STD and free had the exact same rates
but the free gave you 100 units to use either Sat or Sun which is what we made the most of on our Sundays

With regards to the "lunches" the free electricity started off as a good idea but half way through the year we were most definitely questioning our choices, that even though the electricity was free it cost us in time and enjoyment and restricted our Sundays to a house work day!!
So yeah, never again, but my house and clothing were never as clean as they were during that year ;)
 
Used to be free public car charging.

I think you have to be aware of your consumption and match it with a plan where you make some savings. You might also have to change some habits.

I think about 70% of the smart plans offer no savings, what they give with one hand they take away with the other.

The base 24hr plans are probably cheaper for most. But there are now plans that almost match the 24hr rates for daytime but have a night time lower rate. If you can move any consumption to the nighttime it will be cheaper.

That changes if you do a lot of mileage in an EV
.
 
Sarah Ryan said:
I have a smart meter but I am on a 24 hour unit rate plan.
There is no such thing as free electricity, or lunches.
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Please remain on it! By doing so, you're helping to subsidise my (very cheap) smart meter plan! ;)
 
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Activated mine this morning. Have solar 3 years and have been on day night plans. Haven’t paid anything for electricity in that time mostly with government credits, which appear to be going next winter.
Only a couple of companies are still offering non smart day night plans . Expect that will be even fewer next year.
 
Sarah Ryan said:
I have a smart meter but I am on a 24 hour unit rate plan.
There is no such thing as free electricity, or lunches.
Click to expand...
Lunch costs much the same no matter what time you buy it :p

Excess electricity is generated at night, so price on the market drops dramatically as some of it literally goes to waste especially when its windy. Hence the very low 2am-4am prices on ev plans and quite good general rates from 11pm to 8am

I used to be on a smart 24 hour rate until the daytime unit price difference between the 24 hour plan and day/night plan became inconsequential (1.3c) but the day/night plan gave me 13c unit cost from 11pm to 8am and being early risers we get almost all heavy duty use (washing machine, dishwasher, dryer, immersion and even a fair whack of Ironing) at the night rate and have seen a very substantial drop in cost. (Energia)

Up to about a year ago (and still with SSE who seems to consistently be the most expensive), the peak and day rates were a fair whack above the 24 hour rate, but with Electric Ireland and Energia that is no longer the case, hence now the day/night rate seems to be better value for their customers
 
peemac said:
all heavy duty use (washing machine, dishwasher, dryer, immersion and even a fair whack of Ironing) at the night rate and have seen a very substantial drop in cost. (Energia)
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I guess family make up determines alot on what you choose.
We have no EV, probably never will, never use anything at night (fire hazard)

No kids, no dryer, no ironing, immersion but heat that from the gas, one electric shower and one pumped shower so water gets heated for 30 mins per day.

3 adults in house, 2 rarely there and one wfh full time so doing washing happens at a time not offered by other companies for free electricity etc.
 
I read somewhere that in the UK, there is or was, talk about implementing "surge pricing" and that can only really be done if people have Smart Meters.
They came around to my house, and were rather assertive about installing it.
I declined, as the existing meter is not old, maybe less than 10 years and works perfectly, so don't touch what isn't broke.
But their assertiveness made me suspicious of motives.
I'm sure they are not really concerned for MY wellbeing as much as they are for THEIRS.
So, after reading about the UK, I decided to drop anchor and keep my dumb meter.
 
jman0war said:
They came around to my house, and were rather assertive about installing it.
I declined, as the existing meter is not old, maybe less than 10 years and works perfectly, so don't touch what isn't broke.
But their assertiveness made me suspicious of motives.
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The roll-out program and associated targets are being driven by the Regulator, a body who aren't out to shaft you. ESB Networks also want to reduce meter reading costs.

And remember, it is their meter, not yours and they have stated the free replacement scheme will not last forever.

jman0war said:
So, after reading about the UK, I decided to drop anchor and keep my dumb meter.
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Then you're almost certainly paying more than you need to for your electricity! If surge-pricing was to be introduced here, what makes you think rates for those on non-smart meters won't be hiked all year round?
 
"Reducing meter reading costs"?

Basically making redundant the minimum wage earner that goes around house-to-house?
It's job currently done by this local deaf guy, bless him.
Why would I want to take his job away?

We have some recent experience with another meter rollout, water meters.
Considering the experience of well intentioned citizens that pony-d up for that initially, my money is on the dumb meters.
 
jman0war said:
in the UK, there is or was, talk about implementing "surge pricing"
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In Ireland, electricity consumers will soon(ish) have access to "dynamic pricing" where the price varies from hour to hour according to fluctuations in the wholesale electricity price. I'm sure there will be some "surges", although there will be a cap on unit rates so they can't go sky-high as happened in Texas a few years back.
 
Dominic Ó Galla said:
In Ireland, electricity consumers will soon(ish) have access to "dynamic pricing" where the price varies from hour to hour according to fluctuations in the wholesale electricity price.
Click to expand...


Those of us who are signed up for ESB Networks' Is this a Good Time? campaign, are already enjoying a variation of this coming innovation.

(If you like the smell of free money then why not check it out, folks!)
 
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