Extra bill?

muffler

Good afternoon.

I signed up with Electric Ireland back in June and got a bill in early July to cover 19 days up to the end of June. I then received another bill earlier this month to cover 41 days from 1 July to 10 August. I had assumed that this was done to bring me into a set billing cycle.

Now today I have received a further bill for a 19 day period from 11 - 29 August. I'm not querying the amounts but the frequency of the bills. Why so many and why the 19, 41 and 19 day billing periods?

Thanks.

Electric Ireland: Una

Hi muffler,

Thank you for choosing Electric Ireland.

Are you sending in meter-readings? If so, unless it's close to a scheduled bill, submitted meter-readings generate interim bills.

ESB Networks read electricity meters every second month for the scheduled bills (six per year). They aim to read the meter for most of a customer's bills but when they cannot read the meter, they calculate an estimate. They then submit their reading or estimate to the customer's provider.

We recommend (apart from when an interim bill is needed) only sending us a meter-reading upon receipt of an estimated scheduled bill. This will correct the estimate. If paying by direct debit, ensure to submit the correction meter-reading immediately if possible, so that the bank can be given sufficient notice regarding the replacement bill.

We can process meter-readings here on Boards.ie Monday to Friday up to 6pm, or you can phone the reading in on 1850 372 372 after 6pm and on Saturdays.

Let us know if you have any further queries.

Kind regards,
Una

muffler

Electric Ireland: Una wrote: »

Hi muffler,

Thank you for choosing Electric Ireland.

Are you sending in meter-readings? If so, unless it's close to a scheduled bill, submitted meter-readings generate interim bills.

ESB Networks read electricity meters every second month for the scheduled bills (six per year). They aim to read the meter for most of a customer's bills but when they cannot read the meter, they calculate an estimate. They then submit their reading or estimate to the customer's provider.

We recommend (apart from when an interim bill is needed) only sending us a meter-reading upon receipt of an estimated scheduled bill. This will correct the estimate. If paying by direct debit, ensure to submit the correction meter-reading immediately if possible, so that the bank can be given sufficient notice regarding the replacement bill.

We can process meter-readings here on Boards.ie Monday to Friday up to 6pm, or you can phone the reading in on 1850 372 372 after 6pm and on Saturdays.

Let us know if you have any further queries.

Kind regards,
Una

Thanks Una.

i did indeed send a reading in about 3 weeks ago so that would explain the second bill I got. I did notice that the bill was generated within a day of submitting the reading so thats the mystery solved. I just assumed that by sending in a reading at any time would help EI when estimating a bill at a later date.

As the meter was officially read a couple of days ago I'll put a note in my diary to check it on the same date every second month and submit then only or do it immediately I see the estimated scheduled bill, whichever is the earliest.

Thanks for the help and explanation. :)

Electric Ireland: Una

Hi muffler,

You are very welcome - we're happy to help.

We recommend always waiting until the scheduled bill is issued, as ESB Networks will try to read the meter themselves for most bills. Therefore there is no need to send in a meter-reading at the time of the bill. If a scheduled bill is pending, a customer reading is often rejected by the system. Or, if a customer sends in a reading and a bill generates, a scheduled bill from ESB Networks may issue shortly after that still. It may be estimated also.

So we recommend limiting customer meter-readings just to when the scheduled bill is estimated.

Kind regards,
Una