Business customer query night unit usage

Gary7

Hi,  I have begun renting a small office this year, 3 ordinary rooms.  ESB bills are a little confusing and very annoying that helpline will only speak to account holder - landlord - who is not regularly available!

The latest bill shows 710 day units and over 1400 night!  Storage heaters were in use at Christmas but turned off since, but bills have been €600+ since Dec? My query - given that nothing is left on at night, does this 1400 usage figure seem excessive? I can't think what cold be used, but my neighbours bill usage is similar?

Thanks

Electric Ireland: David

Hi Gary7,

Thanks for your message.

Gary7 wrote:

given that nothing is left on at night, does this 1400 usage figure seem excessive?

Are absolutely sure that nothing is left on at night, or that nothing is timed to come on in, say, the early hours of the morning (like an immersion)?

Also, have you checked the time on your meter to ensure it's correct? If you have a standard dual-tariff meter, there should be a timeswitch located beside it. If your meter is digital, the timeswitch is built-in. 

Gary7 wrote:

annoying that helpline will only speak to account holder - landlord - who is not regularly available!

In keeping with data protection policies, we can only speak to the registered account holder, or an authorized contact. Have you discussed this with your landlord?

Thanks,
David

Gary7

Electric Ireland: David wrote: »

Hi Gary7,

Thanks for your message.

Originally posted by Gary7
given that nothing is left on at night, does this 1400 usage figure seem excessive?

Are absolutely sure that nothing is left on at night, or that nothing is timed to come on in, say, the early hours of the morning (like an immersion)?

Also, have you checked the time on your meter to ensure it's correct? If you have a standard dual-tariff meter, there should be a timeswitch located beside it. If your meter is digital, the timeswitch is built-in. 

Originally posted by Gary7
annoying that helpline will only speak to account holder - landlord - who is not regularly available!

In keeping with data protection policies, we can only speak to the registered account holder, or an authorized contact. Have you discussed this with your landlord?

Thanks,
David

Hi David,

thanks for the quick reply, much appreciated.

I'm pretty sure that nothing like immersion comes on at night -  to give you an idea, there are 3 computers and 3 printers in the office, all turned off at night.  There are 3 floors, including the ground floor, and only the ground floor is used.  The office uses storage heaters, but these have been turned off since March, both switches set to off, and I'm constantly making sure of this!  The only thing on is a mini-fridge and this was purchased in June.

I had a look at the time on the meter this morning, and assuming its on a 24 hour clock, its correct within 20 minutes.

I have been advised to purchase a gadget that apparently will measure electricity usage, but I already know that its night that's the issue.

We're also paying a standard charge of €3.29/day, this appears high compared to other office bills I have seen (bearing in mind I'm an accountant!).  

Would it be possible to have the meter/bills inspected to see if there's an issue?

Thanks

Electric Ireland: David

Hi Gary7,

Gary7 wrote:

We're also paying a standard charge of €3.29/day, this appears high compared to other office bills I have seen (bearing in mind I'm an accountant!).

Judging by that figure, the account would seem to be on a Premium Nightsaver tariff, with the meter readings submitted wirelessly every quarter hour to ESB Networks. However we'd really need an MPRN or account number to be sure, and at that we could only discuss it with the account holder.

Gary7 wrote:

Would it be possible to have the meter/bills inspected to see if there's an issue?

Yes, if there's something wrong we would dispatch a technician to further investigate. However the first port of call would need to be an electrical contractor, so as to rule out the possibility of an internal fault (either with the wiring or with individual appliances).

I'd recommend notifying the landlord of your concerns and requesting that he/she contact our business team directly (either by phone - 1850 372 787 - or email) so that we can provide further assitance.

Thanks,
David

Gary7

 

Electric Ireland: David wrote: »

Hi Gary7,

Originally posted by Gary7
We're also paying a standard charge of €3.29/day, this appears high compared to other office bills I have seen (bearing in mind I'm an accountant!).

Judging by that figure, the account would seem to be on a Premium Nightsaver tariff, with the meter readings submitted wirelessly every quarter hour to ESB Networks. However we'd really need an MPRN or account number to be sure, and at that we could only discuss it with the account holder.

Originally posted by Gary7
Would it be possible to have the meter/bills inspected to see if there's an issue?

Yes, if there's something wrong we would dispatch a technician to further investigate. However the first port of call would need to be an electrical contractor, so as to rule out the possibility of an internal fault (either with the wiring or with individual appliances).

I'd recommend notifying the landlord of your concerns and requesting that he/she contact our business team directly (either by phone - 1850 372 787 - or email) so that we can provide further assitance.

Thanks,
David

David,

thanks, that info is very helpful, I'll get the landlord to contact ESB direct tomorrow, and we'll go from there.

Thanks