Moving Electricity Provider

nsa0bupkd3948x

The apartment I rent was set up with Pinergy. They are saying I cannot move providers. Can a landlord dictate which provider I have to use?

whomitconcerns

Nope

_brendand_

Oh here, I had an experience with this when I first moved back last summer. The place I was renting, the agent told me the electric was with Pinergy. I asked about changing it and was told the landlord wanted to leave it like that. In England (where I was before) you do need to ask the landlords permission to change energy provider, technically speaking, but it's usual they'd let you go with whichever one, so I thought this was odd.

So they come and fit the meter and all that and I use it for a few months, it's fine but a little expensive probably. Time comes to move out and one of the things the landlord raises is that they never gave permission to fit the Pinergy meter! I'm shocked, like I was told it was them who wanted it in the first place. After much to-ing and fro-ing with Pinergy, the Landlord and the agent, it comes to light that it was the bloody agent who requested the account be set up - apparently they're getting some sort of commision for it, unbelievable!

So watch out for that. Try to speak to the landlord directly about it and tell them you don't want it.

zell12

You would need to restore the place to how you found it, unless the landlord consents.
Pinergy charge for reactivating/installing a meter. This can be deducted from your deposit
https://pinergy.ie/customer-info/tariffs

nsa0bupkd3948x

It says installation fee is only if cancelled within certain amount of months. Meter doesn't change so can't see how it will be an issue. Either way the installation fee is well cheaper than what I'll be saving moving suppliers.

L1011

Pinergy install their own secondary meter; they can bypass it but generally you'd want it removed entirely.

nsa0bupkd3948x

They say they're just going to deactivate the meter then it will work as a normal one.

markpb

Reign Massive Armor wrote: »

They say they're just going to deactivate the meter then it will work as a normal one.

If you do that, it leaves the landlord with a meter to which everything in the house is connected. It might in the postpay/bypass mode but it's still there complicating any future work that needs to be done. It's also unnecessary clutter in the house. What if you leave the Pinergy one there and a future tenant gets a prepaid meter from another supplier?

Edit: What you're suggesting is fine if you're switching from Pinergy to a post-paid provider so there's no new prepaid meter required.

nsa0bupkd3948x

markpb wrote: »

If you do that, it leaves the landlord with a meter to which everything in the house is connected. It might in the postpay/bypass mode but it's still there complicating any future work that needs to be done. It's also unnecessary clutter in the house. What if you leave the Pinergy one there and a future tenant gets a prepaid meter from another supplier?

Edit: What you're suggesting is fine if you're switching from Pinergy to a post-paid provider so there's no new prepaid meter required.

The pinergy meter is the only meter in the apartment and is well hidden in the wall. It's not branded as pinergy and appears to just be a smart meter.