Is it difficult to change from Electric Ireland to Airtricity?

Dude240502

Does anyone know if it is difficult to change from Electric Ireland to Airtricity, did anyone ever do it, do you have to change meter, does anyone from Electric Ireland have to call to the house or do you just have to submit a final reading, is there a disconnection fee and does it cost anything to open a new account with Airtricity? Does anyone know?

frankmul

I changed a few times between suppliers. You could change online in about 10 minute, but that was a few years ago. I don't think it is any different now.It takes about 2 -3 weeks for the changeover to be complete. No costs, no visits, just need your bill and meter reading.

ted1

I'd advise to not change to Airtricity they are nothing but trouble with regards over billing and poor customer service

.G.

I was with Airtricity for a year and a half,it was easy to switch as it is easy to switch to any other supplier but I partially agree with Ted1,I don't think I ever got a bill off them that was correct,always overcharged and then would have to overpayment credited to my account a few days later. I only rang them once about it before noticing that there was no point as the credit was always applied without my intervention.

A strange quirk of Airtricity.

frankmul

They send me a text now just before the bill is issued asking if I want to give a manual reading in to prevent them from estimating too high.

alaimacerc

Switched to Airtricity a while ago; as others have said, very little difficulty in doing so. (Probably overdue for checking around rates again.)

I'm not certain, but I think Airtricity do fewer "actual" meter reads that the other suppliers. At least if a Bord Gas salesperson that claimed that as a selling point of their service is anything to go by.

Davy

alaimacerc wrote: »

Switched to Airtricity a while ago; as others have said, very little difficulty in doing so. (Probably overdue for checking around rates again.)

I'm not certain, but I think Airtricity do fewer "actual" meter reads that the other suppliers. At least if a Bord Gas salesperson that claimed that as a selling point of their service is anything to go by.

Bord Gais energy and airtricity do not read electric meters. Esbn read the meters ans pass the readings to them, same as Bord Gais networks read the gas meters and pass the readings onto other suppliers.

OisinDunne

Easy to change but I wouldn't. Never got a bill over the December period and then got double bills on Feb... every year for the last 2. Feb bill was always around 800 (for gas and electric). Crap customer service and not the cheapest now either.

alaimacerc

Davy wrote: »

Bord Gais energy and airtricity do not read electric meters. Esbn read the meters ans pass the readings to them, same as Bord Gais networks read the gas meters and pass the readings onto other suppliers.

OK, fine, but do they contract for the same number of readings? I'm given to understand that they do not. That's the point, not whose logo is on the side of the van.

Davy

alaimacerc wrote: »

OK, fine, but do they contract for the same number of readings? I'm given to understand that they do not. That's the point, not whose logo is on the side of the van.

They dont request the amount of times they want the meter read, networks who read the meter would be totally separate from suppliers and do not know who is the supplier in each house.

Airtricity may not use the networks readings, and use estimates and level billing across the contract, much can over or under bill at the year end. They would save on billing and admin costs that way. I think they annoyed a lot of customers that way, but its not really got to do with the meter reading itself.

melekalikimaka

alaimacerc wrote: »

OK, fine, but do they contract for the same number of readings? I'm given to understand that they do not. That's the point, not whose logo is on the side of the van.

this my friend is a lie through and through.

alaimacerc

melekalikimaka wrote: »

this my friend is a lie through and through.

Ah yes, board.ie, where if a thread lacks incivility, there's always a moderator to add some.

dodderangler

ted1 wrote: »

I'd advise to not change to Airtricity they are nothing but trouble with regards over billing and poor customer service

As a person who worked for airtricity I can say your complete is 100% true. Absolute nightmare with them and a disgrace how they treat their customers and their billing is a joke. Main reason why I left.

alaimacerc

Davy wrote: »

They dont request the amount of times they want the meter read, networks who read the meter would be totally separate from suppliers and do not know who is the supplier in each house.

I don't see how "separate from" is inconsistent with "contracts with", and indeed, doesn't the latter rather imply the former?

But I just looked at my last year or so of bills, and indeed it looks to be much the same "alternating actuals and estimateds" as I had previously had with ESB, give or take the odd stutterstep, so most likely there's indeed no actual difference.

Airtricity may not use the networks readings, and use estimates and level billing across the contract, much can over or under bill at the year end. They would save on billing and admin costs that way. I think they annoyed a lot of customers that way, but its not really got to do with the meter reading itself.

If you're getting a meter reading from the network every four months, and have to issue a bill every two months regardless, I don't see how it would save on costs to throw readings away. (If they're on average estimating high, then it'll presumably make them some amount of money on interest/financial instrument of choice.)

melekalikimaka

alaimacerc wrote: »

Ah yes, board.ie, where if a thread lacks incivility, there's always a moderator to add some.

I'm not saying it as an opinion, i know it as a fact.

Shakespeare's Sister

Grrr, this can be so confusing. I have looked into it once and for all though, and my understanding is: ESB Networks read a residential meter (whether the customer's electricity supplier is Electric Ireland, Bord Gais or Airtricity) a certain number of times per year - or aim to anyway, they might not always have access to the meter.
I don't think ESB Networks are required to read the meter for all bills but there is a certain minimum they have to read the meter for once they have access.
For estimated bills, I think the individual supplier rather than ESB Networks decides the figure - which would make sense if the stories about Airtricity estimates being wildly out of synch are true. The other suppliers don't appear to be as notorious for that.

I stand to be corrected on any of the above though.