Pre pay power

ThreeLineWhip

I got this in a few weeks ago. Moved from BGE because they keep hassling for a deposit of €300 and threatening disconnection if not paid. Feck em, I moved.

I finds it handy as it helps me budget and watch my usage. It is working out at around €5 a day for me.

As for those complaining about the service charge. Payzone is not free, installation and maintenance is not free and manning phones is again not free.

One issue is that the meter is installed on the customer side of the ESB contractors switch which means it can be very easily defeated if you were less than honest.

paddy147

ted1 wrote: »

I always wondered about Calgon, how much it costs and how much longer your dishwasher lasts. Is it cheaper to replace it every odd year than keep pumping it full of Calgon.

Just use the kids in the house to clean the dishes in a half sink full of hot soapy water....good way to earn their pocket money and their keep.


Quicker,easier and probably Cheaper than turning on the dish washer every time too.:pac:

Bruthal

ThreeLineWhip wrote: »

One issue is that the meter is installed on the customer side of the ESB contractors switch which means it can be very easily defeated if you were less than honest.

I wouldnt think its that simple. The esb meter is still there I assume? So in effect the units recorded on it are billed and payed by prepaypower.

And you pay them according to their meter they give you. Bypass that, and the discrepancy will be very clear.

You could buy a coin meter, and install it in your hall, give the key to someone who comes and opens it every 2 months, they pay your bill with it and its the same setup.

meercat

Bruthal wrote: »

You could buy a coin meter, and install it in your hall, give the key to someone who comes and opens it every 2 months, they pay your bill with it and its the same setup.

I like this idea
Think you might be onto something there
2 neighbors have meters fitted and hold the others key

paddy147

meercat wrote: »

I like this idea
Think you might be onto something there
2 neighbors have meters fitted and hold the others key

Exactly how my mother used to pay the gas bill in the good old days (early 1980s)...with the 50 pence piece gas meter.

I used to love it as a young kid being the one to put in the money and turn the slot and hearing the money drop down into the coin chamber.:D

meercat

paddy147 wrote: »

Exactly how my mother used to pay the gas bill in the good old days (early 1980s)...with the 50 pence peace gas meter.

I used to love it as a young kid being the one to put in the money and turn the slot and hearing the money drop down into the coin chamber.:D

that was my initial thought when i seen bruthals post

o the good old days:D

paddy147

meercat wrote: »

that was my initial thought when i seen bruthals post

o the good old days:D

Well they say that everything does come back into fashion at some stage.

So why not the pay as you use coin meters.:)

meercat

paddy147 wrote: »

Well they say that everything does come back into fashion at some stage.

So why not the pay as you use coin meters.:)

sorry i threw out loads of them in the last few years
landlords are not allowed fit them and charge tennants
nothing stopping you getting your own though

KoolKid

Best thing they ever did was stop rip off landlords installing those & setting their own rates. Some I have seen were making 500%+ mark ups.

meercat

KoolKid wrote: »

Best thing they ever did was stop rip off landlords installing those & setting their own rates. Some I have seen were making 500%+ mark ups.

have seen massive unit rates alright:D

ThreeLineWhip

I has a shed load of the old 10p meters still. It is a pity that none of the euro coins work in them.

meercat

ThreeLineWhip wrote: »

I has a shed load of the old 10p meters still. It is a pity that none of the euro coins work in them.

there is a company out there who will convert them
cant remember their name though
they will give you €10 each for them

paddy147

ThreeLineWhip wrote: »

I has a shed load of the old 10p meters still. It is a pity that none of the euro coins work in them.

Ever think of stopping by the Central Bank and seeing if they would exchange/sell some old 10p coins to you??:)

ThreeLineWhip

paddy147 wrote: »

Ever think of stopping by the Central Bank and seeing if they would exchange/sell some old 10p coins to you??:)

It took the really old 10p's the big ones.

paddy147

ThreeLineWhip wrote: »

It took the really old 10p's the big ones.

I know the ones.:)

Have some here along with a few Irish 20 pound notes too.


Maybe we might need them soon again,if Kenny and Noonan grow a set of balls and tell Germany and Merkil to fcuk off.

Bruthal

paddy147 wrote: »

I know the ones.:)

Maybe we might need them soon again,if Kenny and Noonan grow a set of balls and tell Germany and Merkil to fcuk off.

We will never need them if that`s the requirement.

wolfpawnat

OP, you're Airtricity, meaning you should gotten a card that allows you to pay as much as you like every time you go to the Post Office. I am not sure when you go, or even if you pass one daily, but you could pay circa 15 a week and it takes a nice blow off the bill. If not you can pay online weekly too using billpay or going to their website. It helps.

I don't trust the pre-pay. We are all tight a few days before pay day. I find Mondays and Tuesdays are always a case of maybe €5 to last the two days, if you ran out of credit and hadn't enough to keep the electricity going for that time you would be screwed, and freezing cold at this time of year. I feel that it would leave a lot of people high and dry.

I am with Airtricity and all of my bills have been estimates. A two bed apartment and they have been charging me €300 bi-monthly for gas and electricity. I think they are under the impression I have some sort of Meth lab in my tiny apartment. Thankfully I have finally gotten one of those weird key things so I can send in the meter readings myself now, I think I won't have to pay a bill for several months now I must be so much in credit!!!!

Missymoohaa

I had a guy call here yesterday offering me a free meter for Pre Pay Power, as always I'm very cynical when anyone calls to the door (my hubbie calls it my f**k off head) I was warned many years ago never appear vulnerable or gullible when you get a caller to the door or they will play you like a fiddle. Anyway I already have a gas meter installed which I am very happy with (bord gais installed it for free because I forgot to pay two small summer bills in a row, and despite having the means to pay it, I felt the meter was a great option.)

On the other hand though I do not like the sound of this Pre Pay Power meter and I would have the following questions:

1 . Standing charge of about 2.50 a week, is quiet a lot, meaning an extra 20 euro on your two monthly bill.
2. Most people are paying less than the standard rate because of direct debit discounts etc.
3. After 12 months what happens? what if they put up the unit price? If you decide you don't want to be with Pre Pay Power, will ESB take over your meter????


Too many questions IMO. If you are genuinely having problems with your bill and have arrears, ring ESB and they will probably install their own meter and you won't have the 2.50 per week standing charge. Be careful guys.

Bruthal

Missymoohaa wrote: »

I had a guy call here yesterday offering me a free meter for Pre Pay Power, as always I'm very cynical when anyone calls to the door (my hubbie calls it my f**k off head) I was warned many years ago never appear vulnerable or gullible when you get a caller to the door or they will play you like a fiddle. Anyway I already have a gas meter installed which I am very happy with (bord gais installed it for free because I forgot to pay two small summer bills in a row, and despite having the means to pay it, I felt the meter was a great option.)

On the other hand though I do not like the sound of this Pre Pay Power meter and I would have the following questions:

1 . Standing charge of about 2.50 a week, is quiet a lot, meaning an extra 20 euro on your two monthly bill.
2. Most people are paying less than the standard rate because of direct debit discounts etc.
3. After 12 months what happens? what if they put up the unit price? If you decide you don't want to be with Pre Pay Power, will ESB take over your meter????


Too many questions IMO. If you are genuinely having problems with your bill and have arrears, ring ESB and they will probably install their own meter and you won't have the 2.50 per week standing charge. Be careful guys.

The standing charge is on any electric bill from any company. With pre pay though, there is a second one, they call it a service charge, which is about the same amount again as the standing charge.

Missymoohaa

Bruthal wrote: »

The standing charge is on any electric bill from any company. With pre pay though, there is a second one, they call it a service charge, which is about the same amount again as the standing charge.

Yes Brutal obviously that is what I meant, service charge not standing charge, in other words an Extra charge. Thank you for being so pedantic. Actually no on second thoughts you are right, I could confuse people. Genuinely thanks for pointing that out. I still think that if you need or want pre pay there are better ways of going about it.

Bruthal

Missymoohaa wrote: »

Yes Brutal obviously that is what I meant, service charge not standing charge, in other words an Extra charge. Thank you for being so pedantic.

I was not trying to be pedantic. I was genuinely offering clarity, something I find most posters welcome in this particular forum due to plenty of confusion.

Putting up that they charge a standing charge, will cause others to believe it is the same as the esb setup.

Genuinely thanks for pointing that out. I still think that if you need or want pre pay there are better ways of going about it.

Yea I think there are better ways. A fair few units can be got for the extra €25 it costs per bill for the pre pay. Reading their own meter weekly and paying in the post office as someone suggested would seem better.

iveragh83

I have it since the 17th sept 2012 and just checked,i have put in 990 cash so far up to and including today.There are cheaper options but its great not having those horrible huge bills coming in.It should work out cheaper as the weather improves with dryers,heaters etc.I have gas heating and cook with electricity.It really helps you realise how expensive elec is and have become more energy conscious.Might revert back after the 12 months,nothing to lose but at least the five of us in this house dont leave lights on in empty rooms or boil the kettle three times for the one cup of tea!!.

Bruthal

iveragh83 wrote: »

Might revert back after the 12 months,nothing to lose but at least the five of us in this house dont leave lights on in empty rooms or boil the kettle three times for the one cup of tea!!.

Yea that might work out not too bad, now you will have a better idea about costs and being more efficient probably.

frankmul

iveragh83 wrote: »

I have it since the 17th sept 2012 and just checked,i have put in 990 cash so far up to and including today.There are cheaper options but its great not having those horrible huge bills coming in.It should work out cheaper as the weather improves with dryers,heaters etc.I have gas heating and cook with electricity.It really helps you realise how expensive elec is and have become more energy conscious.Might revert back after the 12 months,nothing to lose but at least the five of us in this house dont leave lights on in empty rooms or boil the kettle three times for the one cup of tea!!.

Well done, the hard part is done now that you are aware of your energy usage. You should though start reading your meter manually say ever week and get into the habit of monitoring your energy usage without relying on the prepared meter. The difference in the meter readings from one week to another is your energy usage and if you know what you pay per unit then it is easy to work out how much your electricity has cost you for the week.
THe prepaid meter is great in that it forces you to keep checking your electricity usage but when you get rid of it, you should have another cheaper way of monitoring it.

paddy147

iveragh83 wrote: »

I have it since the 17th sept 2012 and just checked,i have put in 990 cash so far up to and including today.There are cheaper options but its great not having those horrible huge bills coming in.It should work out cheaper as the weather improves with dryers,heaters etc.I have gas heating and cook with electricity.It really helps you realise how expensive elec is and have become more energy conscious.Might revert back after the 12 months,nothing to lose but at least the five of us in this house dont leave lights on in empty rooms or boil the kettle three times for the one cup of tea!!.

WTF...you must use the juice as if its going to be your last day on earth??:eek::pac:

irishjig69b

I have it and its bout 3e a day my ESB bills including vat were near 260/80 every two months, this comes in bout 180/200 so it saves me and no scary bills every two months would recommend it

Ladyinthedark

Will my credit run out today at 3 or tomorrow. Because yes a bank holiday