Pre-pay electricity or billed electricity

Hollister11

What would be seen as the preferred ,ethic of paying your electric bill. At ho,e we have pre pay power and while our bills are more or loss the same, I prefer not having a bi monthly bill taken out of my account and paying €20 or so a week makes it feel like we have more money

Malcolm600f

I just pay it when the Bill comes out as its never really that high , wouldn't be bothered with the pre pay as would never remember top up or be arsed for that matter getting them...

pwurple

The prepay prices for electricity are higher than bills. Perhaps it makes you conserve energy more.

gerard2210

Bill will work out cheaper. Electric Ireland and airtricity will give you a card which will allow you to pay small amounts weekly at post office .

Graces7

Bills every time but I would never allow direct debit. I pay a sum when I can at the Post Office or occasionally online. I am a very low user so always tiny bills after the socialwelfare allowance comes in. Living in a very remote area and being disabled prepay would be a worry.

cerastes

Hollister11 wrote: »

What would be seen as the preferred ,ethic of paying your electric bill. At ho,e we have pre pay power and while our bills are more or loss the same, I prefer not having a bi monthly bill taken out of my account and paying €20 or so a week makes it feel like we have more money

If pre pay is an option and you feel that is easier/better to manage bills then stick with it.
I think prepay direct with bord gais costs the same, I'm not sure why someone would go with energia? or the likes as they are essentially an middleman and will take a cut.
The preferred option/ethicfor the supplied is simply that it's paid, I think how you do that once it's regular isn't a problem so long as its an accessible option.

pwurple wrote: »

The prepay prices for electricity are higher than bills. Perhaps it makes you conserve energy more.

Are they? Not with bord gais and I suspect electric Ireland.

gerard2210 wrote: »

Bill will work out cheaper. Electric Ireland and airtricity will give you a card which will allow you to pay small amounts weekly at post office .

Not for gas or electric with bord gais as I enquired recently, I suspect but it would need to be confirmed if e!ectric Ireland is the same or they would simply lose out a share of the market to bord gais. Energia or other intermediary suppliers(middlemen) will charge a cut of some amount/rate but I think it's possiible to have prepayand not be paying more.

Victor

Hollister11 wrote: »

I prefer not having a bi monthly bill taken out of my account and paying €20 or so a week makes it feel like we have more money

Paying weekly means you have less money at any given time, although yes, many people find large bills difficult to manage.

Note that you can pre-pay with several different operators. Shop around.

In this example, assuming identical usage and prices, your cashflow would be better off by €20-225 at any given point.
Week Pre-pay weekly Bill pay every two months
Per period Cumulative Per period Cumulative Difference
1 €20.00 €20.00 €- -€20.00
2 €20.00 €40.00 €- -€40.00
3 €20.00 €60.00 €- -€60.00
4 €20.00 €80.00 €- -€80.00
5 €20.00 €100.00 €- -€100.00
6 €20.00 €120.00 €- -€120.00
7 €20.00 €140.00 €- -€140.00
8 €20.00 €160.00 €- -€160.00
9 €20.00 €180.00 €- -€180.00
10 €20.00 €200.00 €- -€200.00
11 €20.00 €220.00 €173.81 €173.81 -€46.19
12 €20.00 €240.00 €173.81 -€66.19
13 €20.00 €260.00 €173.81 -€86.19
14 €20.00 €280.00 €173.81 -€106.19
15 €20.00 €300.00 €173.81 -€126.19
16 €20.00 €320.00 €173.81 -€146.19
17 €20.00 €340.00 €173.81 -€166.19
18 €20.00 €360.00 €173.81 -€186.19
19 €20.00 €380.00 €173.81 -€206.19
20 €20.00 €400.00 €173.81 €347.62 -€52.38
21 €20.00 €420.00 €347.62 -€72.38
22 €20.00 €440.00 €347.62 -€92.38
23 €20.00 €460.00 €347.62 -€112.38
24 €20.00 €480.00 €347.62 -€132.38
25 €20.00 €500.00 €347.62 -€152.38
26 €20.00 €520.00 €347.62 -€172.38
27 €20.00 €540.00 €347.62 -€192.38
28 €20.00 €560.00 €347.62 -€212.38
29 €20.00 €580.00 €173.81 €521.43 -€58.57
30 €20.00 €600.00 €521.43 -€78.57
31 €20.00 €620.00 €521.43 -€98.57
32 €20.00 €640.00 €521.43 -€118.57
33 €20.00 €660.00 €521.43 -€138.57
34 €20.00 €680.00 €521.43 -€158.57
35 €20.00 €700.00 €521.43 -€178.57
36 €20.00 €720.00 €521.43 -€198.57
37 €20.00 €740.00 €521.43 -€218.57
38 €20.00 €760.00 €173.81 €695.24 -€64.76
39 €20.00 €780.00 €695.24 -€84.76
40 €20.00 €800.00 €695.24 -€104.76
41 €20.00 €820.00 €695.24 -€124.76
42 €20.00 €840.00 €695.24 -€144.76
43 €20.00 €860.00 €695.24 -€164.76
44 €20.00 €880.00 €695.24 -€184.76
45 €20.00 €900.00 €695.24 -€204.76
46 €20.00 €920.00 €695.24 -€224.76
47 €20.00 €940.00 €173.81 €869.05 -€70.95
48 €20.00 €960.00 €869.05 -€90.95
49 €20.00 €980.00 €869.05 -€110.95
50 €20.00 €1,000.00 €869.05 -€130.95
51 €20.00 €1,020.00 €869.05 -€150.95
52 €20.00 €1,040.00 €869.05 -€170.95
53 €2.86 €1,042.86 €869.05 -€173.81
54 €1,042.86 €869.05 -€173.81
55 €1,042.86 €173.81 €1,042.86 €-
Total €1,042.86 €1,042.86 €1,042.86 €1,042.86 €-

Heisenberg1

pwurple wrote: »

The prepay prices for electricity are higher than bills. Perhaps it makes you conserve energy more.

This is not true I am a pre pay electricity customer with Bord Gais, the unit rate charged for pre pay Vs Bill pay is exactly the same and all other charges are the same. I h

L1011

Heisenberg1 wrote: »

This is not true I am a pre pay electricity customer with Bord Gais, the unit rate charged for pre pay Vs Bill pay is exactly the same and all other charges are the same.

Its identical to the "standard rate"

Virtually nobody pays the "standard rate" - you can get offers of ~15% below that on post-pay.