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

Took the chance and it appeared to pay off. Those rates look pretty good compared to the market. Cheaper then the current FloGas smart rates by about 4.5c.

The market is so small there is no point in being competitive in it. Also, one company (albeit the biggest) appear to have a misleading prompt which puts you on a smart plan. I've not heard of any other company doing this. Frankly, I don't think they care.

Stories like yours (read this several times in the past year or two) is why I'll be waiting for the ESB to come to the door with a court order before letting them change the meter. I don't like being a nuisance, but the smart plans right now are a load of b*llocks and I'm not willing to risk being "accidentally" put on one by a supplier when I switch every summer.

I'm going with either the Flogas 29.99c offer or the Waterpower variable rate when my contract is up in 3 weeks, neither of which would be an option if I had a smart meter that some supplier "accidentally" activated on me. I'd be stuck on those silly rates you mentioned above where you can't turn a dishwasher or dryer on at specific times of the evening without being punished. F*ck that.

The point I was making was that if I had been accidentally put on a smart plan by a supplier I wouldn't be eligible for the 29.99c offer. I realise it's by far the best rate around (Current Waterpower variable rate aside) and abnormally low compared to other suppliers right now, but that is besides the point. By still having a MCC01 meter I can take advantage of it.

If EI hadn't put you on a smart plan you'd have signed up for it as well I'd say? Unless a person has an electric car I don't see the benefit of going with a Day/Night/Peak rate over the flat 29.99c 24hr rate currently available.

I had long said that I would let them install the meter but I would not activate it until it makes sense. I got the letter through the door the other day saying they are upgrading meters in my area in the next 3 months. I do not know what I will do.

On one hand, I don't want to be accidentally put on a smart tariff or have the meter activated. I don't think this is likely. Further, there is a lot of chatter online of peoples bills increasing. This is likely due to the old meter not being calibrated and reading lower then it should. I have no desire to have a calibrated meter, if my meter is broken (in my favour), I am happy to leave it that way.

On the flip side, I do think down the line the CRU/Government will make the decision that the 24 hour tariff must be equal to the peak tariff on a smart plan. Hence, forcing people to make the switch. This may happen in 12 months or 12 years. I want to have the smart meter in place to activate it when it makes sense as opposed to scrambling to have it installed.

All very tin foil hatty of me I feel.

You're right and the CRU was saying the same thing to suppliers : there is nothing stopping them from making a smart plan where the Day, Night and Peak rates are all the same. They can design a 24Hrs plan for those with an activated smart meter.

As said earlier, we can think that the main reason why smart plans are more expensive, and also that in general the good deals are only for non-smart meters, is that at the moment activated smart meters are less than 5% of households. Small market segment, not a priority, little competition. That should change once the numbers grow.

I wouldnt understand the standing charges being higher with a Smart Meter at all, they have less work to do once it is sending its 30 minute interval information so doesnt need to be read, although maybe they will have to be updated more frequently than previous electro-mechanical versions??

I dont think there is a sufficient reason why the Standing charge is different between any domestic house, because if the cost was spread across all domestic meter installations nationally it would even out to not much more than the avg SC cost. How can one supplier charge significantly less for a SC and another charge significantly more for it at the same location depending on who you go with, or why was I told it would be an increase of 25 cent per day to activate the SM that is at my house now? when nothing changes? Doesn't make sense other than to extract money from the customer. One person I got on the phone from my supplier did say, it was because they are losing money (not making enough) because some people are saving money by using the rates to their advantage.

While I get why rural/urban SC may be claimed to be different, as the length of lines and density of installations possibly makes rural installations require more work, but the as mentioned above, the difference between suppliers SC throws that idea out the window.

I can only come to the conclusion that there is a different mentality of the suppliers here, as I see online one supplier in the UK (possibly more than one doing it) are giving away free units at some times and even paying customers to consume power at others, so it must be detrimental to their grid to have power available and not used but where reducing the power available isnt possible or would cost them even more money to shut down and restart.

How SM were rolled out here and how tariffs for them are here makes no sense to me, they should be incentivising people to use them like the UK. I get it's a different market, but the reasons that make SMs useful to the grid there have to be the same here, if done right people would be clamouring to get them. Maybe there is some technical reason to not be able to revert back from a SM tariff, but I doubt it (open to correction) but I just get the sense they want their cake and eat it too, which is to get people on them for the Grids sake, but not for any customer benefit, or as little as possible.

There is an increased charge for smart meters of €5.50 a year whether you accept them or not. Rest assured any additional cost to suppliers will be passed onto the customer with a margin. Just like the publican does anytime the brewery increases prices.

https://selectra.ie/energy/guides/meters/smart-meters-ireland#what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-a-smart-meter

"wouldn't mind a peak rate added to that, if it's fair, as in day and night rates would be slightly lower as a consequence."

That's the rub and where the scam is at the moment. Even the excellent BWG smart Day time rate is 10% more than the 24hr rate. Then the Peak is 27% more!

F*ck that. If there was 1 hour before the Peak of 33% discount that could be used to get the oven or hob up to temperature that might work. People still need to eat food and not everyone will use a slow cooker on night rate.

You don't need to inform your current provider, but if say that if you switched now, you'll be collared for the €50 x2 breakage charge.

I got our 1st Flogas BWG Electric Only bill today , consumption 10-31 July, rate 27.51c and standing charge were correct. We are heavy summer users and have more than recovered the €50 due to Energia. BTW Energia did nor bill us for the €50- exit fee on our hopefully last bill on 18 July. Again thanks to all on boards for accurate info and patience.

BG are one of the better ones in fairness, they didn't charge me the 50, I'm electric only.

That's good to hear. I am with them and contract expiring 1st sept and struggling to figure out where to go. Bonkers.ie not much help at the moment.