Prepay power in a rented house ?

Big Davey

The_Conductor wrote: »

If I was letting to professionals, and had the house equipped to a high standard, the last thing in the world I'd do is install pre-pay meters- it would instantly rule out the tenant type I'd be seeking. Usual- is part of the hand-over includes a meter reading and the transfer of utility accounts to the tenant. Pretty standard, to be honest.

I agree.

_Kaiser_

Big Davey wrote: »

I agree.

Ditto.. as a professional adult with a decent job and wage, and who has always paid his rent/bills on time, I'd find it insulting to be honest.

Unless the LL agreed to remove it at their own expense I'd look elsewhere

TheChizler

Made a few comparison graphs recently, the only way you could beat standard with pre-pay (for the same usage) was if you used less than 30 units per billing period.

ted1

TheChizler wrote: »

Made a few comparison graphs recently, the only way you could beat standard with pre-pay (for the same usage) was if you used less than 30 units per billing period.

Did you double check,unit price the same ( no one in a contract pays this), there's 37.5c a day extra and the standing charge is more or less the same, the pso levy is the same

GarIT

Prepay meters are the household equivalent of a gastric band, if you have absolutely no self control it is a good idea to have moderation forced on you but if you have an ounce of cop on you are just better off watching what you eat (the electricity) yourself.

TheChizler

ted1 wrote: »

Did you double check,unit price the same ( no one in a contract pays this), there's 37.5c a day extra and the standing charge is more or less the same, the pso levy is the same

That was including everything, double checked off a few comparison websites. I did it in October I'll check the graph when I get home.

QuiteInterestin

Mr.S wrote: »

If it was a house share with people I didn't know, i'd prefer Pre-Pay.

Think it would be a nightmare in a house share situation. There'd always be someone who would never put money into the meter but would happily use the units paid for by others. At least when you get a bill, its easier to work out who owes what by evenly dividing the bill by the number of people in the house.

lukesmom

ted1 wrote: »

Conpare these prices http://prepaypower.ie/pricing
To these.
https://www.airtricity.com/ie/home/products/electricity/custom-plan
Or these http://www.bordgaisenergy.ie/publications/tariffs/ Remember you get 10-20% off these prices when you switch
Your actually mad, do you do your weekly shop in spar as oppose to a supermarket? That's what it's actually like

Costs a fiver a day for gas and about €4 electric so no I'm not mad and its handy. We don't pay rent or have a mortgage. Do our shopping in tesco, aldi, lidl or wherever I feel like.

Clive

People can do whatever they like in their own home, if they find pre pay better then more power to them. Personally, I would find a pre pay meter a huge negative in a house for rent.

foggy_lad

Big Davey wrote: »

As my Tenant has left with no forwarding address and I now have to set up an electric supply and gas supply in my name for the Two or three weeks I should have the property in my name it got me thinking of pre pay power. Would tenants be happy with this system ? Would it put professional types off ? Does a similar system exists for gas ?
Thanks

Tenants don't like this because when the property is vacant the meters are usually going into serious arrears because of the standing charges and the extra monthly fees for the electricity meters, only cowboy/slum landlords would install these to avoid paying for services when the place is vacant.

dubrov

IMO, installing Prepay would be a negative for tenants who can budget effectively and always pay their bills on time.

Surely, these are the sorts of tenants you would like to have.

foggy_lad

billie1b wrote: »

I have prepay power, im a renter, my bill with prepay is averaging €50 per 2 months cheaper, cant go wrong with it in my opinion

knowing you will get cut off when the Meyer hits zero and being able to see how much is left helps some people to manage their power usage but for most it can mean going without unnecessarily.

billie1b wrote: »

Your telling me theres no way it can be cheaper, I know its cheaper, i'm paying the bleedin bills, my sister has Electric Ireland with 2 adults and 3 kids and her bills are always more expensive on the lowest rate than what I spend. You can say and believe til the cows come home that you think its more expensive but I know it isn't as I use it

if ye both used exactly the same number of units in a year you will have had to "top-up" by at least €136 more than your sisters total bill amounts for the year. Cutting back makes your bills lower but are you missing out by cutting back?

billie1b wrote: »

Its still a bill that I have to pay, if I didnt pay it i'd have no electricity

The best way of explaining it is if your normal bill with Electric Ireland totals €100 for a month your cost for the same amount of electricity with a prepaymeter will be AT LEAST €13 HIGHER.

THERE IS NO SAVING, what happens is people are forced to use less power meaning less waste but also in many cases meaning a lower quality of life as you can't take long showers or have to stop yourself whenever you feel like boiling the kettle for a culpa etc.

If people were sensible and went around the house confiscating/cutting the plugs off TV's and other appliances left on by the kids and only putting washes on when the machine is full etc as well as changing all the bulbs to cfl bulbs they would save a lot more without feeling like Scrooge!

billie1b

foggy_lad wrote: »

knowing you will get cut off when the Meyer hits zero and being able to see how much is left helps some people to manage their power usage but for most it can mean going without unnecessarily.

if ye both used exactly the same number of units in a year you will have had to "top-up" by at least €136 more than your sisters total bill amounts for the year. Cutting back makes your bills lower but are you missing out by cutting back?



The best way of explaining it is if your normal bill with Electric Ireland totals €100 for a month your cost for the same amount of electricity with a prepaymeter will be AT LEAST €13 HIGHER.

THERE IS NO SAVING, what happens is people are forced to use less power meaning less waste but also in many cases meaning a lower quality of life as you can't take long showers or have to stop yourself whenever you feel like boiling the kettle for a culpa etc.

If people were sensible and went around the house confiscating/cutting the plugs off TV's and other appliances left on by the kids and only putting washes on when the machine is full etc as well as changing all the bulbs to cfl bulbs they would save a lot more without feeling like Scrooge!

You honestly think i'm going around plugging things out and not making tea to save on electricity?? I use the same amount of power and live the same life and routine as when I was on bill with Electric Ireland, I actually use more as the kids now have their own tv and xbox and sky box to watch/play. I don't have it cause I can't afford my electricity, I have it because its easier and works out cheaper for me, thats my opinion and i've worked all the things out and watched my units and usage and it comes up cheaper, i'm not the only one who thinks its cheaper, family of mine and friends from work and my own friends have it and they find it easier and cheaper too.

foggy_lad

billie1b wrote: »

You honestly think i'm going around plugging things out and not making tea to save on electricity?? I use the same amount of power and live the same life and routine as when I was on bill with Electric Ireland, I actually use more as the kids now have their own tv and xbox and sky box to watch/play. I don't have it cause I can't afford my electricity, I have it because its easier and works out cheaper for me, thats my opinion and i've worked all the things out and watched my units and usage and it comes up cheaper, i'm not the only one who thinks its cheaper, family of mine and friends from work and my own friends have it and they find it easier and cheaper too.

OK well it is not cheaper per unit as most suppliers offer large discounts for online bills and direct debit payments plus they do not charge an extra €137 per year on top of the most expensive tariff.

V.W.L 11

Can i get the prepay power meter removed???

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

The Standing Charge , Unit price and PSO levy are the same on standard rates for bill pay and pre pay.

Pre Pay power customers pay a prepayment service charge of 37.5c a day (e136.71/year). Bill pay customers do not pay this.

It's impossible for your bill to be cheaper if you are using the same amount of power each month. As other posters have pointed out, the reduction can only be from you/your family using less electricity.

billie1b wrote: »

You honestly think i'm going around plugging things out and not making tea to save on electricity?? I use the same amount of power and live the same life and routine as when I was on bill with Electric Ireland, I actually use more as the kids now have their own tv and xbox and sky box to watch/play. I don't have it cause I can't afford my electricity, I have it because its easier and works out cheaper for me, thats my opinion and i've worked all the things out and watched my units and usage and it comes up cheaper, i'm not the only one who thinks its cheaper, family of mine and friends from work and my own friends have it and they find it easier and cheaper too.

billie1b

foggy_lad wrote: »

OK well it is not cheaper per unit as most suppliers offer large discounts for online bills and direct debit payments plus they do not charge an extra €137 per year on top of the most expensive tariff.

Thanks for your advice and I did know all that, a guy from Electric Ireland knocked on my door the other evening, sound fella, chatted for ages. He wouldn't believe that I was averaging €2.50-€2.80 per day including my daily charge, he came into my house and I showed him the meter, the previous days, weeks and months charge and his words were 'jesus thats brilliant'. He turned around and my wife had the cooker on, the kids were playing xbox (32inch tv) in the kitchen, I was watching Air Crash Investigation (50 inch tv), the christmas tree lights were on, all the xmas lights in the windows (10 windows) and most the house lights were on, he said 'I can see why your not interested in bill pay'. We talked a few minutes more about football and he left.

foggy_lad

SCHEDULE OF CHARGES
Schedule of Charges
Meter Replacement charge €135
Keypad Replacement charge €50
Customer Card Replacement Charge €10
Call out fee €50
Out of hours - weekday €90
Out of hours -- weekend €130
Early Termination of contract = Meter removal fee + number of months remaining on the contract x €10
Meter removal Fee €50
Number of months remaining on the contract x €10
Paper Statement Fee €5

http://www.prepaypower.ie/docs/default-document-library/prepaypower---terms-and-conditions-of-supply.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Their schedule of charges seems quite extreme. The same terms and conditions mention a 12month initial contract, They mention getting their equipment back at termination in fully working and useable condition or charges being levied.

lukesmom

billie1b wrote: »

Thanks for your advice and I did know all that, a guy from Electric Ireland knocked on my door the other evening, sound fella, chatted for ages. He wouldn't believe that I was averaging €2.50-€2.80 per day including my daily charge, he came into my house and I showed him the meter, the previous days, weeks and months charge and his words were 'jesus thats brilliant'. He turned around and my wife had the cooker on, the kids were playing xbox (32inch tv) in the kitchen, I was watching Air Crash Investigation (50 inch tv), the christmas tree lights were on, all the xmas lights in the windows (10 windows) and most the house lights were on, he said 'I can see why your not interested in bill pay'. We talked a few minutes more about football and he left.

Yeah I find it great value too. It was about €4 a day over christmas but its normaIly about €3. don't have to worry about bills coming through the door and I can keep an eye on how much we spend and use. So easy to top up online now too. Have the bord gais Meter too for heating.

foggy_lad

billie1b wrote: »

Thanks for your advice and I did know all that, a guy from Electric Ireland knocked on my door the other evening, sound fella, chatted for ages. He wouldn't believe that I was averaging €2.50-€2.80 per day including my daily charge, he came into my house and I showed him the meter, the previous days, weeks and months charge and his words were 'jesus thats brilliant'. He turned around and my wife had the cooker on, the kids were playing xbox (32inch tv) in the kitchen, I was watching Air Crash Investigation (50 inch tv), the christmas tree lights were on, all the xmas lights in the windows (10 windows) and most the house lights were on, he said 'I can see why your not interested in bill pay'. We talked a few minutes more about football and he left.

That daily usage adds up to about €1050 a year, it would be about €900 or most likely less if with a normal supplier. Ye are either living like hermits or shilling? Have you any connection to either company offering prepay electricity?

billie1b

foggy_lad wrote: »

That daily usage adds up to about €1050 a year, it would be about €900 or most likely less if with a normal supplier. Ye are either living like hermits or shilling? Have you any connection to either company offering prepay electricity?

No no connections, thats the way it has always been, thats why I keep it, my electricity bills with Airtricity and Electric Ireland or ESB were never under €240, I was always ringing and being put on lower tariffs but they always worked out the same, I went to prepay and never looked back after 4 months of studying my meter and my meter outside for units used and it was averaging the same units. As I said in a previous post, I dont run around turning things off and what not, im not scabby with my electricity. TV does be on all day, washing machine, dishwasher, dryer and cooker all get used as normal for a family of 6, xbox, laptop and tablets plugged in DS's plugged in, PC turned on from the morning til I go to bed, lights on and so on

foggy_lad

If I was you I would have it checked out or you could be hit with massive charges for underpaying as it clearly sounds like you are somehow being charged less for something that is so much dearer!

lukesmom

foggy_lad wrote: »

If I was you I would have it checked out or you could be hit with massive charges for underpaying as it clearly sounds like you are somehow being charged less for something that is so much dearer!

How come I'm paying close to what Billie is paying then?

TheChizler

foggy_lad wrote: »

If I was you I would have it checked out or you could be hit with massive charges for underpaying as it clearly sounds like you are somehow being charged less for something that is so much dearer!

I imagine it could be something more subtle, even though I'm not sure it could account for such a huge drop in usage, having to keep an eye on your credit daily could introduce an unconscious action of reducing usage, turning off lights more often, not boiling as much water for tea etc. And usage generally isn't time invariant, as more incandescent bulbs blow they're going to be replaced gradually with energy saving bulbs, replacement appliances will generally consume less power. I'd love to see the usage for the year before and after getting the meter.

djimi

billie1b wrote: »

No no connections, thats the way it has always been, thats why I keep it, my electricity bills with Airtricity and Electric Ireland or ESB were never under €240, I was always ringing and being put on lower tariffs but they always worked out the same, I went to prepay and never looked back after 4 months of studying my meter and my meter outside for units used and it was averaging the same units. As I said in a previous post, I dont run around turning things off and what not, im not scabby with my electricity. TV does be on all day, washing machine, dishwasher, dryer and cooker all get used as normal for a family of 6, xbox, laptop and tablets plugged in DS's plugged in, PC turned on from the morning til I go to bed, lights on and so on

Be it deliberate or subconscious, you are doing something different now compared to before which means your consumption is less.

You need to elaborate your claims that prepay is cheaper. Forget looking just at the monthly cost, and compare actual usage on a prepay bill to one of your previous normal bills. Its not enough to say that you are doing the same as before as you clearly are not. I'd be amazed if you didn't find that you were using (probably significantly) more units before you switched to prepay.

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

Your usage is in and around the same perhaps?

lukesmom wrote: »

How come I'm paying close to what Billie is paying then?

Big Davey

Only reason I even considered pre pay was that my Tenant has done a runner and it seemed troublesome to start getting gprn numbers and finding a provider and set up a new connection for two or three weeks BUT I spoke to a helpful lady in Electric Ireland and got everything sorted on a temporary bill. The last time I had any property empty was 5 years ago and it seemed much easier to just put the bill in my name for a few weeks deregulation or whatever.

djimi

As for prepay electricity in a tenancy, Id steer well clear tbh. If you get a tenant and they specifically request it then fair enough, but for me if I view a property that has prepay electricity it just conjures up memories of the kind of dumps that we used to rent in college where you had to put money in the meter to keep the power on! You will be cutting out a very large portion of the rental market for very little gain really.

snubbleste

So we have managed 60 posts when one post would do..and that post would be "No"

lukesmom

The_Conductor wrote: »

If I was letting to professionals, and had the house equipped to a high standard, the last thing in the world I'd do is install pre-pay meters- it would instantly rule out the tenant type I'd be seeking. Usual- is part of the hand-over includes a meter reading and the transfer of utility accounts to the tenant. Pretty standard, to be honest.

Why TYPE of tenant would that be? Think your making a generalisation there that's unwarranted.