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Moving from a Pre-Pay Meter to Direct Debit?

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  • 24-04-2019 2:28pm
    #1
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 14,344 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi folks,

    Live in a house that was once owned by the Council. About, say 15 years ago (maybe, there or thereabouts) contractors installed Pre-Pay meters on pretty much every house in the estate.

    Ours is still there, and it's how we pay for the gas (electricity is by Direct Debit).

    I'm looking to see if anyone can help me with figuring out whether it's worth changing or not. I'm instinctively lead to believe that my daily charge for having a meter is higher than it would be if I did not have the meter.

    I also believe, if I switched to Direct Debit I could get some of the discounts offered to new customers (i'm currently with electric ireland, but if they wouldn't entertain any kind of discount, I'm sure i'd get it elsewhere).

    I chatted on the phone briefly to a customer service agent who informed me there would be a bill of approximately €200 to switch from pre-pay to direct debit, however he wasn't really much help in terms of figuring out what I'm currently paying, vs what i would be paying, per unit, or what daily rate is or would be if i switched.


    I have a bill in my hand from Electric Ireland, and although it tells me what my overall spend ws in the last year, how many top ups, etc. it doesn't give any information in terms of unit pricing or day charges, so I'm unsure how to get this information.

    Anyone on here able to help at all?


    If it helps at all, on the bill my AC Band is B and my Tarriff name is GD_SD_PYGC. I'm unsure if those details can be used to work out specifics of the account (but naturally i can PM account number, GPRN etc. if needed).




    Thanks a lot.


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    #2
    Electric Ireland: Una
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,178 ✭✭✭Electric Ireland: Una


    Hi KKV,

    Thank you for getting in touch.

    Yes, the fee to have a pay as you go (PAYG) gas meter removed (which is required to change to gas billing) is approximately €200 (no matter which company the customer is registered with). This fee is to cover payment to Gas Networks Ireland for the meter removal.

    Unlike a PAYG electricity meter, there is no daily service charge for a PAYG gas meter - the costs are the same for those of a billed gas customer: rate per unit used, standing charge, carbon tax. With Electric Ireland, the cost for consumption is slightly over 6 cent per gas unit used (including VAT), the standing charge is 28 cent per day (also including VAT) and the carbon tax is a universal charge which is the same for all providers: slightly over 0.4 cent per unit used.

    If you changed to direct debit, you would indeed receive a saving of 8.5% off the units used on every bill (your electricity saving would increase to 8.5% off the units used on every bill also).

    If you have any other questions, please let us know.

    Best regards,
    Una


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