Best Electricity Plan for new EV Owners

CoBo55 · 02-01-2023 7:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120055817#Comment_120055817

That's a good find, well spotted. I think it's the only SM plan out there that doesn't have penal peak hours rates.

josip · 02-01-2023 7:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120055998#Comment_120055998

Although it's great to have 9 hours of low night rate electricity, if you can charge your EV and do everything else within the 2-3 hours of various night boost rates, then the additional 6-7 hours isn't of any real benefit. Plus you save yourself the hassle of organising the initial switch out and the (paid for) switch back in the future by staying with your SM.

joe1303l · 02-01-2023 7:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120056806#Comment_120056806

Big benefit I find with day/night is your cheap rates last until 8am or 9am depending on winter/summer and cover the morning household peak. On weekdays for me this covers electric shower, heating, cooking breakfast etc. Useful for tumble dryer also if you’re not comfortable having it on while asleep. Big battery EV’s like an EV6 also need most of those 9hrs on a home charger if the battery was close to empty.

josip · 02-01-2023 8:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120056962#Comment_120056962

Agree with you about the morning usage, especially for those with electric showers. But the mistake I was making a couple of months ago for my situation was thinking I needed 8 hours a night to fully charge the EV and doing my plan comparisons based on that. While it would take 8 hours to fully charge it from 0%, I don't need to do that every night. I suspect most others wouldn't need to do it either. 3 hours every night would be sufficient.

Bobeagleburger · 02-01-2023 8:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120056806#Comment_120056806

You probably be doing well to charge up a decent pv battery pack, plus an EV in that time?

josip · 02-01-2023 8:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120057251#Comment_120057251

I'd imagine that anyone with a PV battery pack would be on night rate even though they won't charge it form the grid 12 months of the year. How many households in Ireland have a battery and what's the average size?

moorele · 03-01-2023 3:56pm

Have put a deposit on the new Megane e tech and hopefully will get delivery late Feb/early March.

Currently looking at energy plans as we are out of contract with Electric Ireland this month and I am well & truly confused. Do we need a smart or D/N plan with the EV or are we better off staying on standard plan?

We would be at work most of the day but obviously would use a lot of our electricity during peak hours (making dinners, bathing kids, putting on dishwasher, washing machine etc). Electric Ireland have offered us a 10% discount to stay with them. This would mean we would pay 38.9c for electricity (all day) and 13.2c for gas. The standing charges stay as what we are currently paying. I was looking at their boost plan and it would be 42.3 day rate, 20.8c (from 11pm to 8am) with the boost rate of 12.c (2am to 4am) & gas 13.4c but the standing charges increase by about 100 per year.

I wont be doing massive mileage in the new car (only 20km or so a day) so was wondering would a 2hr charge each night be enough to keep the battery topped up?

Any advice from those of you further along this journey is much appreciated.

joe1303l · 03-01-2023 6:08pm

Best advice is look at your current usage on a typical day by recording the numbers off your meter. Even checking at say 8am, 6pm and midnight would probably do. Work out how much electricity you currently use at different times of the day/night and add in an estimate for how many kWh you’ll need for an EV. Use this information combined with whatever energy plans are available currently and you’ll have your answer. For me, a day night meter and the Energia EV plan was by far the cheapest option when I checked last September but Energy plans keep changing and every user is different.

moorele · 03-01-2023 6:20pm

Does it cost any extra to get D/N meter fitted? Our meter was recently upgraded to a smart meter. Can this be used on a day/night plan or does a separate meter need to be fitted? (absolutely clueless here)

CoBo55 · 03-01-2023 6:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060742#Comment_120060742

You'll need a replacement D/N meter which you need to order through your provider, hopefully you aren't with BG as they won't order the meter for you I've given up trying. No, it won't cost you anything as it's your first requested meter change.

joe1303l · 03-01-2023 11:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120060742#Comment_120060742

Should be no cost to change but I think there could be something like a €100 charge to change back to a smartmeter in the future. You wouldn’t be long saving the €100 if you’re on an attractive tarriff for 12months. Your prospective new supplier should be able to confirm this charge to change back.

micks_address · 04-01-2023 12:13am

The smart meter tarrif with EI makes sense if you have a pv battery storage solution and can avoid the day rate mostly.. I top up the car each night as well between 2 and 4..

moorele · 04-01-2023 5:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120062622#Comment_120062622

Thanks I will look into this.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120062697#Comment_120062697

No pv battery storage unfortunately.

Liam2021 · 04-01-2023 7:09pm

Hi all.

Anyone get a day night meter installed lately and removed the 24 hrs smart meter {not activated.} Currently with energia who have said that there is a blanket ban on changing meters. Contacted the ESB networks who also said they never do this. Any advise?

traco · 05-01-2023 10:28am

Hi - haven't read back through the thread so apologise if this has been answered already.

Just got notice about having a smart meter installed in the coming weeks. I don't have an EV yet but there seems to be a prefernce for a day / night meter rather than the smart. Just wondering if I shoul refuse it, stay as is and get a night meter installed. Most applicances have delay timers so can be set to run at night. We wouldn't have a huge draw in the early evening either as kids are grown and have a gas hob. The oven for dinner would might only be on every few days.

CoBo55 · 05-01-2023 11:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120065795#Comment_120065795

I got absolutely nowhere with BG trying to get my SM removed. I did ring ESB networks who said I could get it changed but it must be done through my provider, it looks like ESB networks have changed their stance, that's disappointing.

CoBo55 · 05-01-2023 11:13am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120067801#Comment_120067801

I'm not sure if you can refuse it, ESB networks own the meter and can change it if they want to. You could always try getting a D/N meter now, once it's installed at your request they can't change it for a SM.

traco · 05-01-2023 11:58am

I was thinking about that but moved tarrifs in early may and I thunk it was a 12 month contract. Thats not far away from the next renewal. I just wonder though will they start to turn the screw with the old style night rates in near future

John arse · 05-01-2023 12:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120067947#Comment_120067947

You can refuse a smart meter,the house is your property.

poker--addict · 06-01-2023 2:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120051036#Comment_120051036

Gated area, not sure how they gain access, not seen them.

MPRN · 06-01-2023 3:05pm

How can these scumbags get away with upping the standing charges every year.......

ECO_Mental · 06-01-2023 3:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120055998#Comment_120055998

Isn't there a fair usage policy though if you go over the allotted kWh you will charged at a higher rate and with an EV you might push the night rate usage number..

For example I did 2150 kWH night usage for Nov-Dec this year which would have put over. Now I do have a heat pump and we went through a really cold spell that pushed that number up a lot more than normal so I think for the average user you should be ok

Mike2006 · 06-01-2023 3:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120073979#Comment_120073979

Yes - I came close enough (83%) of the 2,000kWhrs on my last bill (below). I was lucky and got in at the ~30% discount and given the low night rate, I have changed my habits significantly to early mornings (6am) to putting on the dishwasher and washing machine and dryer.

I have moved my night-rate usage to two-thirds and day to one-third... A significant amount of my night rate is charging the EV still though..

Mike

KCross · 06-01-2023 4:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120073979#Comment_120073979

For example I did 2150 kWH night usage for Nov-Dec this year

Just to clarify how that overage actually works..... in your example you would be charged a higher rate for just the 150kWh that you went over, not the entire 2150kWh figure and the "high usage rate" is a pre-discount rate so you dont actually pay 25.80c/kWh for that high usage, it depends on what % discount you are on.

So, in the overall bill, the higher charge on the extra 150kWh wont contribute that much really.

KCross · 06-01-2023 4:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120073784#Comment_120073784

They have to read it so someone is letting them in at some point. Otherwise all your bills would be estimates and inaccurate. They are reading it somehow. I think they have to read it 4 times a year at a minimum.

On your bill next to the readings it will have "A", "E" or "C" next to the number to tell you whether its an Actual, Estimate or Customer reading. Do you see any A's on your meter reading on your bill?

graememk · 06-01-2023 5:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120073979#Comment_120073979

I'm predicting i'm gonna be hitting 3500 night, (only a handful of day though) this dec/jan bill.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120074354#Comment_120074354

That 25c is after discounts.. thankfully this year its only something like 13c for me.

D_D · 06-01-2023 9:08pm

I have no idea what folks are using their energy on, or if cannabis farms are common, but my total usage for Nov/Dec was 270 units... And that's with 2 of us WFH 4 days a week 😐

Ok, our EV hasn't been delivered yet but I dunno if it'll add 2000 units onto my bill