Electricity connection

masterboy123

Hi,

I just moved to Ireland and going to rent a property of my own from next week.

I am told by the property agency that the ESB bill will be transferred on my name once I start residing in that apartment. I read there are different electric providers in Ireland, which one should I choose?
Also, what's the deal with nightsaver? In my home country there is no extra meter for night electricity. What are it's advantages and is there any extra installation fees for it?

Is it safe to pay using Direct Debit? Because it's asking 300 euros deposit as I am a new customer, in case I do not choose direct debit option.

If I choose to go for Online Billing account, do they provide colour copy of the actual bill with detailed information or is it just an online bill without showing actual units consumed?

I saw prepay electricity advertisement on the TV, is it any good to be considered?

There is no gas in the apartment, so I need only electricity bill to be taken care of.

Thanks all!

No Pants

I can't say anything about Nightsaver, but I've had no problem with direct debits ever in this country. That's over 15 years here and multiple companies, including three electricity providers (ESB, Bord Gáis and Airtricity).

dotsman

This is a good site to compare the various electricity prices.

The electricity all comes from the same national grid, so the only main difference between them is the customer service and logo on your bill. You would probably want to tell your landlord if you are changing provider, but I can't imagine them having a problem with it. One essential thing would be to ensure that the account if fully paid up in advance of you moving in (and you don't inherit the previous tenants unpaid bills)

Nightsaver is basically where you pay a bit more for electricity used during daytime hours, but a lot less for electricity used during the night. If you are out most of the day, have storage heating, heat your hot water tank during the night and use the dishwasher/washing machine etc going to bed, then you can make decent savings. If not, then it can end up being more expensive. It really all depends on when you use the bulk of your electricity. If you don't already have it, I'm not sure if there are additional set-up charges (probably are).

Direct debit is fairly standard and safe. Over the years of using Direct Debit for numerous bills, the only issue I ever had was with UPC many years ago, where they still billed me after having cancelled the account. Got the money back, but took numerous phone calls (they have/had terrible customer service).

Online billing should be pretty much the exact same as a paper bill - typically it's just made available to you as a PDF, but may not have your address etc. However, as you are new to the country, you may want to go with paper billing at the start as it is very handy to have bills in your name as you will need them when opening bank accounts or similar services etc.

Avoid prepay. It is far more expensive. It's a con, aimed at poor people, who can't budget or use electricity conservatively of their own accord (insensitive of me I know, but that pretty much is the blunt version of describing it's target market).

dudara

I can't speak for any other provider, but the ESB online bills are PDFs which print out exactly like the old paper versions. Fully detailed as well.

masterboy123

Many thanks dotsman & nopants,

So basically the price is same with any provider. The current electricity connection is from electric Ireland. The rental agency wrote the meter reading when I moved into this apartment so I believe I don't have to pay what previous tenant has used.

Yes that's the reason why I asked if online bill is exactly the same as paper bill bcoz I need to have address proof for several things. So now I will not apply for online billing until all my documents are set here.

masterboy123

does it show the name and address? because i need to show the bill as proof of address.

dudara wrote: »

I can't speak for any other provider, but the ESB online bills are PDFs which print out exactly like the old paper versions. Fully detailed as well.

dudara

masterboy123 wrote: »

does it show the name and address? because i need to show the bill as proof of address.

It's a proper bill, just in PDF. By law, any invoice must display name & address.

cerastes

confirm the meter reading is accurate, or you may be paying for some other tenant or the agent.
find the meter and check, it might be right but cant see why anyone wouldn't check.

dotsman

masterboy123 wrote: »

So basically the price is same with any provider.

No - there is a slight difference in pricing between providers - use the bonkers link to show the difference. What I meant in my previous post is that the electricity is all from the same grid. So it is not a case that one provider has a more reliable service, or has "better" electricity. It is all the same. The only difference is in the customer service really (and they all seem to be the similar in that regard) - hence the price difference is only small.

masterboy123

whats €139.62 standing charge ?
thnx

dotsman wrote: »

No - there is a slight difference in pricing between providers - use the bonkers link to show the difference. What I meant in my previous post is that the electricity is all from the same grid. So it is not a case that one provider has a more reliable service, or has "better" electricity. It is all the same. The only difference is in the customer service really (and they all seem to be the similar in that regard) - hence the price difference is only small.

dotsman

The standing charge is the amount you have to pay regardless of usage.

Assuming you are billed every 2 months, then your bill will be for €23.27 (139.62/6) plus whatever electricity you used during those 2 months.

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This might help... https://www.electricireland.ie/ei/residential/manage-your-account/understand-your-bill.jsp

Del2005

masterboy123 wrote: »

does it show the name and address? because i need to show the bill as proof of address.

The proof of address has to be a posted invoice or government document. Printing out yourself may not work as a lot of companies require an original copy and a lot of companies use watermarked paper for their invoices.

dudara

Moved to Accomodation & Property

dudara

Patrickof

dotsman wrote: »

One essential thing would be to ensure that the account if fully paid up in advance of you moving in (and you don't inherit the previous tenants unpaid bills)

No need to worry about previous tenants usage or payments, just make sure the readings on the meters are the ones used on your first bill when it arrives.

Suppliers can no longer prevent a new tenant moving in due to a previous tenants outstanding balance. At worst, they may request a copy of the lease showing that you are in fact a new tenant, and not the old one trying to just change names on the account. Generally, the letting agent can supply this directly to the supply company if requested.

masterboy123

The letting agency just told me the night and day meter readings but they did not actually show me the meters. They said its very busy day and they can not come to show the meter readings. The meters are located outside the apartment in a closed door so I can't view it.

I have MPRN number of electric ireland, is it possible to get last meter reading somehow from electric ireland?

Thanks

Patrickof wrote: »

No need to worry about previous tenants usage or payments, just make sure the readings on the meters are the ones used on your first bill when it arrives.

Suppliers can no longer prevent a new tenant moving in due to a previous tenants outstanding balance. At worst, they may request a copy of the lease showing that you are in fact a new tenant, and not the old one trying to just change names on the account. Generally, the letting agent can supply this directly to the supply company if requested.

The_Conductor

If you pop into Woodies- or any of the larger hard-ware stores, they can sell you a key for opening your meter box and taking readings yourself (alternatively- a long nosed pliars can be used to twist the locking mechanism, which is a standard triangular bolt mechanism).

Make sure you take your own readings before you move in.

masterboy123

Hmm any idea about harware store in Waterford city who can sell me this key?

The_Conductor wrote: »

If you pop into Woodies- or any of the larger hard-ware stores, they can sell you a key for opening your meter box and taking readings yourself (alternatively- a long nosed pliars can be used to twist the locking mechanism, which is a standard triangular bolt mechanism).

Make sure you take your own readings before you move in.

quietsailor

masterboy123 wrote: »

Hmm any idea about harware store in Waterford city who can sell me this key?

This is for a house with its own meters and not an apartment block where all the meters can be located in the utilities/basement which is off-limits to residents yes?
You can use something with a broad blade - a butter knife - to open these boxes, (I've done it on older boxes at home) you have to put it in at an angle, also some of the boxes open clockwise so check to see if there is an arrow to indicate direction.

When your opening your electricity & gas accounts ask the providers to send you out a "meter box key", it'll save you buying one although they are cheap anyway.

Here's an ebay example of a meter box key
Watch they don't try and sell you one of these - most Electricity and gas meter boxes in Ireland I've seen don't use these to open up. 4 way utility key

masterboy123

Today during the day I couldn't turn on the heating. When I came home in the evening (around 5pm) it was working fine then.

But I don't understand the clock/timer system on one heater
1.jpg

and on other heater there are 2 different knobs, cant understand whats the use of these?
3.jpg

Also, there is a unit indicating water heater but i really have no clue how it works.
2.jpg

Can you please tell me how to use them correctly?
i was told by the letting agency that there are 2 electricity meters, night and day.

Many thanks

masterboy123

I dont think its any of these keys.
In this apartment building (4 floors in total and 2 apartments on each floor), there is a door with key (just like apartment entrance door) which has all the meters inside, atleast thats where I understand the meters are. It was written "Caution, Fire, Danger!" or something like this, I will take picture of it in the morning ang show you.

quietsailor wrote: »

This is for a house with its own meters and not an apartment block where all the meters can be located in the utilities/basement which is off-limits to residents yes?
You can use something with a broad blade - a butter knife - to open these boxes, (I've done it on older boxes at home) you have to put it in at an angle, also some of the boxes open clockwise so check to see if there is an arrow to indicate direction.

When your opening your electricity & gas accounts ask the providers to send you out a "meter box key", it'll save you buying one although they are cheap anyway.

Here's an ebay example of a meter box key
Watch they don't try and sell you one of these - most Electricity and gas meter boxes in Ireland I've seen don't use these to open up. 4 way utility key

dotsman

masterboy123 wrote: »

Today during the day I couldn't turn on the heating. When I came home in the evening (around 5pm) it was working fine then.

But I don't understand the clock/timer system on one heater
1.jpg

and on other heater there are 2 different knobs, cant understand whats the use of these?
3.jpg

Also, there is a unit indicating water heater but i really have no clue how it works.
2.jpg

Can you please tell me how to use them correctly?
i was told by the letting agency that there are 2 electricity meters, night and day.

Many thanks

Yup, you have nightsaver.

The first photo is of a regular electrical heater. Not sure of the exact settings on that model, but you should be able to just simply switch it on or off as desired. You can also set specific times for it to come on by pushing in the little buttons on the outer circle for the times you want the heating on.

The second photo is of a storage heater. Basically, this heater heats up during the night (during the cheap rates) and releases the heat throughout the day. the input dial is for how much heat you want it to store up and the output is for how quickly you want it released. You'll need to play with the settings to find whatever suits the room it is in. For now, I'd recommend setting the input to 6 and maybe the output to 1 or 2. That way it should have enough heat to last all day. To turn it on, there should be a switch on the wall next to it. there should also be a thermostat on a wall somewhere in the apartment (probably in the room). Best bet is to wait until midnight some night (when it automatically tried to heat up) and play with the thermostat and switches until you see/hear it come on.

The third photo is of the hot water panel. At the moment, you have it switched off. Hit the switch to "Timed". This will heat up the water tank during the night (cheap rate) and should give you plenty of hot water for the day. If you run out of out hot water during the day (take plenty of showers/baths etc), you can use the booster to top up the hot water. Simply turn the "countdown" dial (the one that says "2 hours"). This will turn on the boost for however long you set it for (turning the dial all the way back will turn it on for 2 hours, turning it half way for 1 hour etc). For me, when there's no hot water, turning the boost on for half an hour should give plenty of hot water for 1 shower.

The Estate Agent/landlord should really come out to you and show you how to work all this and also show you the meters. I assume, at this stage, you have already paid the deposit/rent etc. I would contact them tomorrow and tell them you will be complaining to the PRTB unless they do their jobs and that you shouldn't have to pay rent while these issues are outstanding.

masterboy123

In the first picture I understand the little button on the outer circle are for the timings I want the heating on, but whats the inner circle for, pointing out on the number from 1 to 24?

Ok, so for storage heater, I have set Input at 6 and output at 2 as recommended. There is no thermostat for it, but right next to it there is a circular wheel with numbers 1 to 5. I have set it at 3 for now.

Regarding the hot water panel, I set it to "timed" early morning today but even when the "boost" is set to stop, it keeps starting itself and I can hear the water heating system starting and turning off every hour, so I have switched it back to off.

Yes, i am going to ask the letting agency to show me atleast these problems, they are very lazy and slow, when it came to money, they took 1 months deposit as well as first month rent immediately. But they did not show me how things are working in this apartment.

I thank you for telling me the basics atleast, otherwise I would be totally lost in this weekend because the letting agency is closed until monday morning.

dotsman wrote: »

Yup, you have nightsaver.

The first photo is of a regular electrical heater. Not sure of the exact settings on that model, but you should be able to just simply switch it on or off as desired. You can also set specific times for it to come on by pushing in the little buttons on the outer circle for the times you want the heating on.

The second photo is of a storage heater. Basically, this heater heats up during the night (during the cheap rates) and releases the heat throughout the day. the input dial is for how much heat you want it to store up and the output is for how quickly you want it released. You'll need to play with the settings to find whatever suits the room it is in. For now, I'd recommend setting the input to 6 and maybe the output to 1 or 2. That way it should have enough heat to last all day. To turn it on, there should be a switch on the wall next to it. there should also be a thermostat on a wall somewhere in the apartment (probably in the room). Best bet is to wait until midnight some night (when it automatically tried to heat up) and play with the thermostat and switches until you see/hear it come on.

The third photo is of the hot water panel. At the moment, you have it switched off. Hit the switch to "Timed". This will heat up the water tank during the night (cheap rate) and should give you plenty of hot water for the day. If you run out of out hot water during the day (take plenty of showers/baths etc), you can use the booster to top up the hot water. Simply turn the "countdown" dial (the one that says "2 hours"). This will turn on the boost for however long you set it for (turning the dial all the way back will turn it on for 2 hours, turning it half way for 1 hour etc). For me, when there's no hot water, turning the boost on for half an hour should give plenty of hot water for 1 shower.

The Estate Agent/landlord should really come out to you and show you how to work all this and also show you the meters. I assume, at this stage, you have already paid the deposit/rent etc. I would contact them tomorrow and tell them you will be complaining to the PRTB unless they do their jobs and that you shouldn't have to pay rent while these issues are outstanding.