Best Electricity Plan for new EV Owners

Padraig Mor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120168058#Comment_120168058

If you will be all/mostly charging at home your usage pattern is about to change drastically! So 4*80km a week, plus you'll use it more than you think so call it 400km a week. That will be, give or take, 70kWh a week which will, unless you are a big energy hog, be a big jump in your usage. Move your washing machine and dishwasher (and dryer if applicable) to night hours and I think the Energia EV Plan will be a big saving for you.

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120168566#Comment_120168566

Probably is only for new customers unfortunately, there's always a catch with these providers 😡. I'm with BG so I can get it.

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120168376#Comment_120168376

Just take a reading at 8am and again at 11pm. Being with BG he won't be able to get a D/N meter. His usage looks similar to mine making the 47.77c day rate a non runner. Not every household can have machines running during the night especially with young children etc.

Liam2021

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120169169#Comment_120169169

If you join energia on the phone they will arrange to get the meter changed. You will move over to the 24hr rate for a few days until the meter is changed.

snor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120169223#Comment_120169223

Not my experience during the week at all I’m afraid. In fact the Energia guy said they have never swapped a smart for a D/N meter!! Said it can’t be done.

Liam2021

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120169246#Comment_120169246

Well that's a bare faced lie. I have changed 2 smart meters in the past one just 2 weeks ago with energia. Energia did try to get me ho stay on the smart meter bet when I said I spoke with CRU who told me that there was no reason I could not change my meter to a Day/night meter, Energia quickly changed their tune and had it changed in 3 days. It seems like all companies want you on smart meters for their gain.

snor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120169276#Comment_120169276

Sure I know it’s a hard faced lie and I told them I knew for a fact it wasn’t true. My current provider is changing the smart for a D/N and j will charge then to the energia EV plan.

crisco10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120169169#Comment_120169169

have young kids here, we set the machines to start about 6 or 6.30am. (When kids are waking anyway). So all setup done night before, but still run on night rate.

budhabob

I just rang EI to change to the Night Boost tariff.....turns out the smart meter installed 2 months ago has a low signal so can't sign up.....it's in the porch!!! Surely that would have been checked at install - tis a great country really.

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120169603#Comment_120169603

request a Day night meter then!

Was an existing customer and got the EI Night Boost + Smart Meter rate.

Nothing about new-customers-only @ https://www.electricireland.ie/switch/new-customer/price-plans?priceType=E (Other than the URL!!)

Call bullshit on it and demand the tarrif.

CuriosityKilledtheCat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120169784#Comment_120169784

Call bullshit on it and demand the tarrif.

Or switch the account to partner\wife\husband's name

Cushtie

Hi, did you get a discount for staying with EI?

My contract is up next month and I need to switch to some form of plan that has night rate as I am running a heat pump.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120169784#Comment_120169784

Abel Magwitch

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120170653#Comment_120170653

I dont know about switching to the night rate plan but a rep called to my door last week and told me next time my contract is up they will ring 2 weeks before hand and I should demand a 10% discount as that is standard retention deal for EI. If I had seen this thread I would have asked him about the ability (or not) to switch to night rate.

So anyway the flat rate plan would work out at just under 36c/kWh

Cushtie

Thanks, it actually says on the EI website that existing customers get 10% for renewing current contract. Not sure if that applies if you are switching to a different plan though. One way to find out I guess.

https://www.electricireland.ie/residential/existing-customers/offer

snor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120170653#Comment_120170653

Yes. 10% retention discount.

CoBo55

BG are giving me 18% retention discount, 39.5c including vat on the 24hr plan.

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120170569#Comment_120170569

I think it's all done on the mprn, no point in putting granny's name on the account.

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120171879#Comment_120171879

Ive done that, Different name = New account, came out of the same bank account.

moorele

I'm with EI. Out of contract this month. They offered 10% discount to renew so would be 39c/unit all day. I was looking at switching to boost or weekender plan. Its no problem to switch but you wont get the 10% discount. These plans only available with 8.5% discount.

We decided to switch to weekender as we don't use much electricity at night. The standing charge is cheaper than boost plan and day rate is the same. We get free electricity from 0800 to 2300 on a Saturday. I do very little mileage so charging the car on a Saturday is enough for the week. Yesterday i had washing machine & dryer going all day & got it all sorted. Will see how it pans out over the next few weeks.

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120173283#Comment_120173283

Have you got gas as well?

yer man!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120173283#Comment_120173283

Can you change the free weekend day later if you find you use more on the sat/sun?

moorele

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120173374#Comment_120173374

Yes its the dual weekender so gas is 13.4c i think. Gas price is same across all the EI plans. Only electricity that fluctuates depending on the plan.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120173461#Comment_120173461

Not sure to be honest. We tend to go visit in laws etc on a Sunday so thats why i went with Sat.

Cathal44

Have a smart meter installed but not activated (MCC01 on bill). Currently on Bord Gais 24 hour rate with 40% discount but contract ending on Friday.

Have decided to move to EI Home Electric + Nightboost, so will need to charge my ev nightly between 2am and 4am.

I am wondering if all meter types (24hr, d/n and smart) have the one hour time difference between summer and winter time? Checked the meter today and there is no time displayed. What time should I currently set the charge to commence in order to coincide exactly with EI’s lowest rates from 2am to 4am? Thanks.

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120175506#Comment_120175506

Good question, I'm not certain but I think if the smart meter can communicate properly and you get accepted for the plan the meter switches rates in real time as it gets it's time signal from the inbuilt SIM card.

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120175506#Comment_120175506

Did BG offer you the 18% discount to 39.5c to stay?

Cathal44

Yeah. 18% discount offered. Working out the figures, the EI Home Electric + Nightboost or the Energia EV plans were the best options for us. Going to go with EI as I didn’t want the uncertainty of having wait for a d/n install.

brcwatters

I called Energia a couple of weeks ago about switching to a D/N meter. We have a smart meter that is still on standard plan (MCC-01) with EI. She said I could either switch to Energia right then and ask them to change to a D/N meter, or get EI to switch it and then move to Energia. I didn't want switching right then as their standard rate is a good bit higher than what I have currently and didn't want paying the extra for the few weeks while waiting. Stupid move on my part

Called EI then to ask them to switch and they put me through to the smart meter guy and he said our meter didn't actually need changing, it could be configured to be used as a D/N one. He didn't seem to understand that one might need more than 2 hours a night to charge a car. Anyway he was just going round in circles with me so I left it. Then work got in the way. Now we have the car and the home charger so I tried calling Energia just now and another lady told me that they don't switch to D/N meters anymore, that the overall plan is to get everyone to have a smart meter and Energia were getting too much hassle about doing all these switches and they're not doing it anymore as of a couple of weeks ago.

So what now - do I try to ring back and talk to someone else, or do I just stick with a smart plan from someone? According to my calculation captain, if we just charge 3 hours a night it would actually be cheaper to go with BG than a D/N plan, but himself wondering are we better off charge 3 hours a night or full charge every couple of nights, from a battery health point of view. It's all so complicated. Just need to make a decision.

DaveyDave

I like how Energia said they don't do it because they're getting too much hassle. Suppliers are the ones giving hassle. They're all lying to customers saying they can't do it. It's a 5 minute phone call, just log the request with ESB. ESB are the ones who arrange KN to come out to you and they will call to find a suitable time. They're the one doing the actual work...

brcwatters

Thing is the electrician who was out installing the car charger said he reckons his parents have the same meter and that theirs is just configured as a D/N meter so he thinks we don't even need to switch the actual device. But if I can't get anyone to switch it then what can I do? Will have to run the numbers again and see which smart plan to go with. TBH it won't be a huge difference if we only charge 3 or 4 hours every night