meter reading

fernrock

Is there any way a user can be advised as to when a meter reading is due.
My elderly mother lives alone and does not like to open her door when no other family member is present. As her meter is inside she recieves many estimated bills.
I have made several attempts over the last few months to submit a reading but each time I am advised that the bill is immenent and reading cannot be accepted.

Electric Ireland: Una

Hi fernrock,

Thank you for getting in touch.

It is not always possible to tell exactly when the ESB Networks meter-readers will be carrying out the scheduled estimates for Electric Ireland and other electricity providers. Every second month is the only information we can give, as the date varies from month to month (but it is usually around the same time during the month, however we cannot give an exact time).

We recommend sending in a meter-reading immediately upon receipt of a scheduled estimated bill. The meter-reading will generate an accurate bill to replace the estimated bill. This replacement bill will be due for payment two weeks from its date of issue (not from the date the estimated bill is issued). We can set up a payment plan to change the due date to a later one also, if customers require it.

Just to advise also: if the estimate is very close to the accurate meter-reading, the system may not accept it.

Please let us know if you have any further queries - we will return in the morning.

Regards,
Una

fernrock

I find it strange that Electrick Ireland cannot give advance notice of meter reading.
Most other suppliers who I assume purchase their product from yourselves, can give approx 4. days notice prior to reading date.
I assune ESB Networks read on behalf of these companies also.

Electric Ireland: Una

Hi fernrock,

ESB Networks and Electric Ireland are no longer combined. They used to be all the ESB, then they became ESB Networks and ESB Customer Supply.

In 2011, ESB Customer Supply changed to Electric Ireland.

ESB Networks looks after the infrastructure, and supplies electricity to the various providers, including Electric Ireland.

We cannot give the exact date as to when the meter-readers will be in a particular locality - we can just give an approximation. If you send in a meter-reading through the ESB Networks website before the bill is approximately due, it may generate a bill before the scheduled bill, but there is no guarantee of this. The risk with sending in a meter-reading shortly before when the scheduled bill is approximately due, is either the meter-reading may be rejected because of a pending bill, or an ad hoc bill will be released but the scheduled bill will still be issued shortly afterwards.

This is why we recommend just sending in a meter-reading upon immediate receipt of an estimated scheduled bill. The meter-reading will correct the balance and cancel the estimated bill (if for less; if the estimate is less than the actual bill, an additional bill to make up the difference will issue - this will be due two weeks from the date it issues) and the system will not reject the meter-reading.

Best regards,
Una