Switching electric/gas providers (see first post for links)

billyhead · 01-10-2022 9:42am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119686942#Comment_119686942

I moved to Bord Gais for both gas and electricity.

eeepaulo · 01-10-2022 11:50am

SSE and EI prices increased today, BG tomorrow, and they are big increases. Energia and Flogas will look good but they have similar price rises on 07/10 and 26/10 No PSO as of today.

SSE reduced the welcome credit from 250 to 100, that 250 was really good for low usage accounts.

If you are on a 24 hr meter that one big switch offer looks really good, excepting that, the smart tariffs are better value with good ev and freeday options. (always depending on usage)

I think the companies have responded to the criticism of the last few weeks, let's see when group think catches up.

Bordgais' website appears to have fallen over with all the excitement so can't see the current offers. (going by the ones earlier this week)

Fishdoodle · 01-10-2022 1:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688401#Comment_119688401

Good info there👍

Further incentives for insulation etc which used to get customers credit on their bill are no longer available with EI and possibly other providers. (See below)Customer are really being shafted with all these increases.

https://www.electricireland.ie/news/article/how-to-get-money-back-on-energy-efficiency-improvements-to-your-home

…note “This Incentive Scheme is not available right now. “

If anyone is with EI or BG , a good idea to take a meter reading today and submit it via ESB Networks / Bord Gais so the next bill will be accurate.

Sheep Shagger · 01-10-2022 1:41pm

Can anyone please explain to me why the government can't intervene znd cap the unit price of energy for a defined period of time.

Giving people a couple of hundred euro here and there isnt really the fairest (and I'm speaking that as someone lucky living in an A rated house). By capping the unit price, those who have to use more power would save more?

zell12 · 01-10-2022 1:44pm

Because a price cap means giving a blank cheque to private energy companies, who can choose to increase their prices knowing there is no competition for customers to switch to

zell12 · 01-10-2022 1:45pm

Confirmation that Energia EV rate is fixed.

eeepaulo · 01-10-2022 2:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688797#Comment_119688797

That section is for the previous price rise, if you were on a fix before, you should still be now

sham09 · 01-10-2022 6:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688401#Comment_119688401

@eeepaulo I am with EI, on phone to them trying to see what loyalty rate they can offer. I cannot get the BG website to load (404 error), do you know what rate they are offering? I see the BigSwitch offer of 33%, what rate would that be based on?

Sheep Shagger · 01-10-2022 6:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119688790#Comment_119688790

How so?

Say the government capped prices at 30c per unit for the next 12 months (for example). How is that giving the suppliers s blank cheque.

Gooser14 · 01-10-2022 6:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119689900#Comment_119689900

The government would have to pay the supplier the difference between the capped price & the actual market price.

eeepaulo · 01-10-2022 6:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119689875#Comment_119689875

This link still works

Our Tariffs & Prices | Bord Gáis Energy (bordgaisenergy.ie)

These were the best offers in each category on friday (with the new price changes) those rates are including vat, there is a good chance they have changed the offers though, and people on here are saying they got offered 25% off on phone and at door (dont know whether that is 24hr meter or smart)

zell12 · 01-10-2022 7:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119689900#Comment_119689900

Varadkar explains:

“If you have a pure energy cap, the government has to be willing to say that we will pay for anything above that limit and that cannot be costed. It’s very risky and ultimately it’s taxpayers money and would be a blank cheque to energy companies,”

https://www.thejournal.ie/oleary-price-cap-5878938-Sep2022/

The Economist (paywall) is more clear

Britain’s government signs a giant blank cheque for energy bills

baby fish · 02-10-2022 2:03pm

Some advice please on switching,

I'm on standard 24hr with energia so new rate will be 48.44c/kwh next week. My contract with them is until around next Jan/Feb approx.

I'm thinking of switching to day/night rate. I seem to have a day/night meter installed when house was built, although have always been on 24hr standard. I can scroll through different screens on the meter by pressing a blue button.

Is switching to day/night as simple as selecting a day night plan, can it be done online or is phone call required?

Should I wait until my contract expired or just switch now?

If I do wait, when is best time to switch? e.g. switch one week before contract expires or wait until the contract actually expires?

Thanks

johnnykilo · 02-10-2022 2:52pm

Sorry folks, looking for some advice also.

I just the keys of my first house yesterday, it had been rented previously with Prepay Power for electricity and Electric Ireland for gas. So I'll technically be a new sign-up rather than a switcher.

I won't be moving in for a number of weeks as I'm planning on getting renovations done, but obviously electricity would be useful to have, so I'm planning on getting electricity connected now and gas a bit later when there'll be a need.

I had just been planning on relying on One Big Switch/Switchers/Bonkers/PowerToSwitch etc... however from reading the last 2/3 pages of posts it looks like things won't be that simple. Am I right in saying I should search those platforms as a first step with the various options turned to "No" to ensure I'm seeing the all the unit rates and then just go directly to whichever company I think is best to sign up with?

It'll be just me in the house so I imagine it'll be relatively light usage, and I also plan on getting solar panels installed in a few weeks if that makes any difference.

Any help would be appreciate, I didn't think choosing utility suppliers would be such a minefield! Thanks!

phester28 · 02-10-2022 3:15pm

Just looking myself and my summary is that bonkers will still show the best deals around as long as you click show offers not currently available. I.E only available directly with the provider.

Electricity Only using average figures seems that electric Ireland at a 14% discount shows as cheapest at 1865 per year

MB05 · 02-10-2022 7:22pm

Has anyone signed up with One Big Switch recently? I was about to sign up but I am not sure if I have to sign up to the Complete Boiler Care offer in order to get the 33% the Bord Gais standard rate for Gas and Electricity. It seems to only available in some counties (I'm in Dublin) and the only mention of it on the form is in the T&C's/Plan Details after I filled out the form. I don't see a box I can tick to say I do or don't want it.

Moving2017 · 02-10-2022 7:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119693358#Comment_119693358

You don’t have to sign up to it to get the 33% deal, but there is a link in the welcome email from OBS to sign up for it separately if you want

geriatric · 02-10-2022 9:18pm

Is the OBS the best offer at the moment for a non-smart meter?

phester28 · 02-10-2022 10:00pm

OBS is the best I could find. The rates attached at checkout are already out of date but the most upto date rates are less than Electric Ireland recent 22% off and has less standing charges. I also have Solar so the FIT from BG is higher than EE

MB05 · 03-10-2022 12:25am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119693377#Comment_119693377

Thanks for replying Moving2017. I signed up to the deal as I couldn't find anything better. A lot of the cashback and discounted deals seem to have been withdrawn in the last few weeks and I noticed a lot of the deals that are being offered are no longer available through the likes of bonkers and switcher.ie.

If the energy providers refuse to pay a referral fee to them anymore I can't see them lasting much longer, which would be a pity as it's handy to be able to compare all the plans and see who offers the best price for your needs within 5 mins.

03-10-2022 8:36am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119694321#Comment_119694321

You still can "compare all the plans and see who offers the best price for your needs within 5 min" on bonkers anyway. What makes you think you can't?

zell12 · 03-10-2022 8:48am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119694627#Comment_119694627

No you cannot. You don't see the SSE cashback plan, or the Energia EV plan

SeeMoreBut · 03-10-2022 9:02am

Contract is up with EI. I roughly use 4000 gas and 3000 electric.

Are they offering any good discount to stay or is it OBS for me which it seems to be.

03-10-2022 9:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119694654#Comment_119694654

Here's the SSE one anyway, but it's out of date as the credit is only €100 - not sure when it changed. I can't even find the Energia one on their own site, because it's broken - probably the reason it's not on bonkers either.

zell12 · 03-10-2022 10:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119694773#Comment_119694773

SSE was €250 cashback up until a few weeks ago, was not on bonkers. Energia not there either

questionmark · 03-10-2022 2:42pm

Can I break contract (Energia) now that the price in going up so not what I signed contract for. I know everywhere is gone up but might get better rate else where.

03-10-2022 3:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119696065#Comment_119696065

Read their terms and conditions, but probably not.

Sarn · 03-10-2022 3:23pm

You can break the contract, but you’ll pay a break fee. They’re allowed to vary the unit rates unless they specifically fixed them in your contract. Unfortunately the energy contracts aren’t like those of broadband, telephone.

Fishdoodle · 03-10-2022 3:41pm

Can I break contract (Energia) now that the price in going up so not what I signed contract for. I know everywhere is gone up but might get better rate else where.

Ring them, see if they can offer you a better discount. You can always ask if they might waive the fee if you find a better deal elsewhere.. worked for me in the past

abbey · 03-10-2022 5:29pm

Can someone clarify?

If you are coming towards the end of your contract (like we are on the 6th of November), do you have to wait until that date or after to start the process of filling in the application for a new contract? I assume if you don't they will charge a breakout charge ?

As far as I recall it took weeks until we were switched over last year. Will you be stuck paying the standard rate while you are in 'limbo' or will you continue on whatever rate you were on the plan that has just ended?

Thanks.

Switching electric/gas providers (see first post for links)

Comments