Best Electricity Plan for new EV Owners

Sam the Sham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119570975#Comment_119570975

Attached is what they sent me.

You will note where it says "All prices are subject to change."

For the electricity, the language is different and highlighted here in red:

Kramer

Attached is what they sent me.

I don't think they have much of a clue what they are doing, to be honest 😃.

I spoke with them last week regarding a relation's transfer & when finished with that, I asked how long more my switch would take (I had signed up the week before that). They looked it up & all was in train. They confirmed that the electricity rate was fixed & unprompted, they said "your gas unit rate is also fixed for the 12 months". I never assumed that would be the case but when I questioned him, he said yes, gas is fixed too.

I've seen since others on Facebook groups being assured the gas unit rate is fixed.

It makes no real sense but it is a "Dual" tariff & they are actively telling people both are fixed so......

Wouldn't be surprised if they unilaterally kick people off it later in the Winter, if they start losing too much on it.

KCross

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119571091#Comment_119571091

Is there any repercussions to changing the meter? Like next year if I have to go back will there be a big bill to change meter again?

You will be charged to change back to a 24hr tariff. €180ish I think.

electricus

Has anyone on a smart tariff (and smart meter) managed to change to a night saver meter?

I’m with SSE and they said I can’t switch as I have activated mart metering.

fits

I was with SSE but I hadn’t activated the meter with a smart tariff.

Liam2021

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119571587#Comment_119571587

Yes I was with sse on 24hr tariff they arranged the change of meter from smart (not activated) to a day night meter.

electricus

Thanks for confirming. It looks like changing to a night meter will be a problem for me…

It was all the advertised promises regarding lower cost (lies as it turns out) and usage tracking that convinced me to sign up for the damned thing!

Zurbaran

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119563436#Comment_119563436

I’m in the exact same situation as you. There was not talk of a 50 exit fee. They just put in for the meter change, I checked with BG and they did as said, being installed tonorrow. It’s just starting a new year contract with the fixed rates which is exactly what you want.

Zurbaran

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119571922#Comment_119571922

You are entitled to the change if you’ve not done it before. Tell them you need to talk to a supervisor and demand it.

electricus

I’ll give that a go tomorrow, hopefully they’ll be more helpful than the person I talked to was via chat.

If they refuse again then I’ll withdraw my consent to collect my usage data under GDPR.

baldshin

Got swapped over with Energia this morning, only took 20 minutes and was all very straightforward. Great to have those prices locked in now we're using at least 40kw every night.

eagerv

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119573314#Comment_119573314

Careful you don't go over the 2000kWh at cheap night rate per 2 month billing period. Ok, you will only be charged the higher rate on the surplus

baldshin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119573408#Comment_119573408

Should manage to stay below it, but even going over and paying the higher rate is a better price than other suppliers!

Stokly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119573408#Comment_119573408

I cannot imagine how anyone would manage to reach such a hig consumption in 2 months :D

Stokly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119566833#Comment_119566833

Oh I didnt see that "fixed" reference on the signup stage 😶

Still waiting for welcome letter to see what i got there 🤣

baldshin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119573745#Comment_119573745

We'll hit 1600w in 2 months from just one of our 2 evs commuting to/from work, so not unimaginable to go over it if using washer/drier/dishwasher at the night rate also.

Stokly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119573885#Comment_119573885

Wow 😐️ We have had max 600 kw for 2 months at some pount, but we have one EV car 64 kw, and we charge it 2-3 times per week + washer/dishwasher at night too.

baldshin

Yeah we've one EV doing 1000km+ motorway a week and another doing maybe 2-300km.

Just received my confirmation email from energia and the rates are different to the website/what was quoted on the call. This happen anyone else? Showing day rate of €0.2903 and night rate of €0.1392.

KCross

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119574686#Comment_119574686

They are probably the pre-discount price so subtract your discount from it... maybe?

eagerv

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119574686#Comment_119574686

You have me worried now. Still waiting on confirmation email..

Did you set up a DD with them?

UID0

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119574686#Comment_119574686

That's the standard day/night rate prices, not the EV plan prices.

dave oc

I signed up last Thursday morning (was quoted the cheaper rates at the time) and got no email or letter yet either. How long are people waiting to get some sort of confirmation?

fafy

Thanks all for the heads up, have just signed up to Energia, Electric Car Plan by phone, operator confirmed, both the rate, and the discount %, are fixed for 12 months. €50 to exit EI, is nothing compared to the differences.

That Electric Ireland price rise from Oct 1st, means Energia is now best value for me, and to have it fixed, makes it the best deal around.

I also jumped ship from EI on gas, since we had a heat pump installed, we only use hob cooking for gas, and we use very little, Flogas have extortionate gas tariff rates, but giving €220 cash back, means that will cover our entire year of standing charges (104.29 pa inc vat with Flogas), and almost all of our annual gas usage,(11.04 c inc vat), and low usage charges no longer apply.

fafy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119575017#Comment_119575017

I signed up by phone, and had an email confirmation, less than an hour after that, was only a general email, no specifics about the EV car plan or the rates,

Comer1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119575301#Comment_119575301

I signed up online last Saturday week and also got the same general email, but nothing else since. Someone else on this thread reported about 10 days from signing up to getting a letter.

ADSLUSER

I also signed up and received the confirmation email, leaving ELectric Ireland. However when I logged into EI today, I already see my accounts have been closed so it looks like transfer to Energia is already in progress.

Kramer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119567867#Comment_119567867

My welcome letter confirming both electricity & gas unit rates are fixed.

I'm not sure if or why others are receiving different 🤔.

Sam the Sham

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119576279#Comment_119576279

Mine is different! When did you sign up?

Kramer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119576307#Comment_119576307

The welcome letter is dated Aug. 24th but it was the previous week, probably that earlier Thursday or Friday before.

Funny story: A few years ago, Energia actually switched me from another supplier, without my knowledge or consent, inadvertently & by accident. They apologised & compensated me. Apparently, they were working with inactive/dormant accounts with regard to smart meter billing etc., but someone accidently started using actual account information.

I'm not surprised they are inconsistent but hey, I'm not complaining either now, with fixed gas & electricity rates for the winter ahead.

Kramer

 Sam the Sham,

Your letter shows your gas tariff as "retent20 discount", mine, "new customer discount, EV dual offer".

Were you already with them for gas? It looks like you need to be a new customer for both, to qualify for the fixed gas rate too.

Sam the Sham

I was already with them for both gas and electricity but on a tariff they no longer offer. I’m still not convinced your gas rate will be fixed, precisely because of the language under “Please note” on your letter about all prices being subject to change. I don’t think my gas is fixed either but I think I’ll ring them tomorrow.

baldshin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119574877#Comment_119574877

Great spot, will follow up with them tomorrow.

irewestlad

Ok thanks guys. So it sounds like I request to take out the smart meter and move to a Day/Night meter. I’m not worried about FiT, most of what I produce in excess will go into an EV.

I still don’t understand why the providers can’t offer a good night time rate on smart meter plans - seems to be obvious price gouging.

thanks for the help - this thread is brill

KildareP

Day rate has crept up again on Energia EV plan, now 33.8c and 9.73c night.

Meanwhile their smart plans have also crept up and still offer incredibly bad value in comparison: 32.37c day, 23.14c night, 33.92c peak, but far better value than most of the recent, which really says something about how much smart meters are nothing but an exercise in price gouging.

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119578170#Comment_119578170

Just checked it myself too. So that means since I signed up (and fixed rates), the day and night rates have increased by 5c and 2.7c respectively.

Since I'll only be using night electricity going forward (8.2kWp solar installed yesterday, 20kWh of storage coming shortly), Id still be happy with fixing at 9c but I reckon when my contract is up in July they will have gone up a bit further too.

ADSLUSER

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119578170#Comment_119578170

Wow didn’t take them long. This is what I see on their EV plan for Duel Fuel with Night/Day meter. It was cheaper just yesterday I think

ELM327

I still say even with the 2 price increases it makes sense to have this tariff. Especially as the rates are fixed for 12 months

dave oc

Got my confirmation email now. I signed up Thursday morning around when the rates where going up the first time, but on the phone I was told the cheaper rate (e.g. approx night rate of 7.9c instead of 8.3c). This is what I agreed to when signing up, do I have much chance ringing them and push to get the lower rate? Call was recorded etc.

I know this ‘higher’ rate is still competitive but it’s not what I signed up for, the rate was fixed and not the normal variable plans. Gas is also higher so I’m losing out there too. I guess they could just mention the cooling off period as an out…

DaveyDave

So if you're in the cooling off period you can't sign up to another supplier, absolutely **** ridiculous. Cancelled Airtricity and switched to Energia, heard nothing for a week so logged in to see a letter on my account saying it was cancelled. On the phone with them an hour only to confirm there's a 20 day restriction on moving to a new supplier if you're in the cooling off period. So not only do I lose the 7.9c rate with Energia I'm losing the 8.3c rate too, plus I'm paying out of contract rates with Electric Ireland for another 3 weeks.

Not too fussed about the night rate, anything under 10c is fine it's just the crappy day rates I'm annoyed about.

ELM327

Yes this rule seems to have been little known until recently. You're not the first person Ive seen affected recently

mc2022B2TF

i signed up last Wednesday and the prices have gone up twice since - still waiting on the welcome pack.

And 100% they will put me on the new rates until i have to call them and remind them of what was agreed - looking forward to that waste of a phone call.

crisco10

Signed up Sunday morning, no welcome letter. But my EI accounts are clearly in the stages of being closed. But no confirmation of the rates I will be landing on! (or indeed, how Fixed they will be!)

electricus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119577528#Comment_119577528

There is no technical reason but it must make sense business wise, I suppose it would cost too much to give cheap rates to everyone with a smart meter.

I had to call ESB networks as SSE are refusing to request a meter change. ESB said they are getting lots of similar calls (mostly EV owners) and confirmed that they are not blocking requests to change. They seemed a bit baffled about why suppliers don’t offer EV plans to customers with smart meters.

kennethsmyth

Based on how they are already running the smart meter rates at present, I wouldnt trust the providers whatsoever. If they continue with that people will be hacking the "smart meters" to under report - either that or there is going to be civil unrest in the future.

kennethsmyth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119580847#Comment_119580847

They are not allowed to refuse a meter change, I would be making a formal complaint to the energy regulator (the useless git they are). And letting SSE know that.

electricus

If I hadn’t read about all the switchers here then I would’ve believed them and just left it…

I’ll be emailing the regulator and might CC Eamonn Ryan too, for what it’s worth.

Having to rip out a newly installed smart meter to get access to a better tariff is just insane, but if that’s what it takes…

Liam2021

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119579813#Comment_119579813

I signed up to energia EV plan on Thursday, no letter etc yet. I call them today and again they confirmed that the rate I joined up on was fixed and I asked was the standing charge fixed? They confirmed everything on the plan was fixed to what I signed up to.

KildareP

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119579247#Comment_119579247

Hang on, so if you are with supplier 1, move to supplier 2 but cancel before the 14 days is up, you're then stuck unable to move to supplier 3 for 20 days?

DaveyDave

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581704#Comment_119581704

Yes, it's mental!

MojoMaker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119581704#Comment_119581704

Have just done this. Was with EI up to mid-August,. moved to BG and then after the savage price rises there I called up BG and cancelled on day 13 of the cooling off period and was able to switch to Energia later that day - all working fine now. Process is remarkably simple these days actually.