Switching electric/gas providers (see first post for links)

jaffa20

At the request from a number of posters have posted the latest links for the perceived best tariffs currently available.

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Latest MOD update for the below information is 6 October 2023.

Both the BWG and CP links below have been axed by Flogas.

A tip if using Bonkers...Unselect "Only show tariffs available for sign up?". There are better deals than Yuno for the average user.

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podgeandrodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058235650/switching-electric-gas-providers

He's right. If you were in contract, you can leave and pay the termination payment only (generally €50). If you are now out of contract, you're likely paying a crap rate, and hanging around to see future offers is costing you.

Edit - as some have said below, some providers reserve the right to claw back bonus. Whether they actually do is a question perhaps..

loyatemu

If you're with Energia you can re-sign with them via Bonkers and get the same discounts for another year. I did the comparison and whilst they weren't the cheapest only Bord Gais were much cheaper and I had terrible problems with them last time we were with them.

babelfish1990

So if you change provider every 4 months, and pay the penalties for breaking contracts, you could accumulate €500 of switching bonuses per year, net of penalties! There seem to be some conditions on cash-back offers (eg Iberdrola cash-back only gets paid after 4 months), but changing after 4 months looks as though it would work. You would need to cycle between at least 3 providers, so as to avoid returning to the first one in less than 12 months.

AngelaRI

I heard a mention just recently there that if you break contract and had availed of a cashback offer, they could clawback the offer (I would imagine via final bill, possibly prorated for the period remaining on contract)???

This is 100% just something I heard in passing, no idea if it's the case or not, or only specific providers, but definitely worth reading the fineprint before breaking out of any contract (in general)

That said - anyone doing door to door sales is gonna get zero from me, I've found folks get just too pushy, borderline bullying you into the sale, and I don't agree with that. I would much rather they stick a flyer in my postbox and I go shop online and compare my options, rather than be pressured into drinking their coolaid without checking what other options are around at that time (especially if you hadn't been considering switching and they come up and try to get you to sign up then and there - it's the same tactics scammers use: pressure/scare you into acting before you have a chance to stop and think)

zell12

Yes, if you get cashback and exit before contract ends, you have to return the cashback. It's in their T&Cs

This is one example from EI

If you receive a Switching Bonus and cease to take electricity and/or gas from Electric Ireland before the end of price plan contract term, Electric Ireland reserves the right to cancel the Switching Bonus and debit your account with an amount up to the value of the Switching Bonus.

Garibaldi?

Can you organise your switch in advance with bonkers or do you have to wait until the day after your contract is up.

jaffa20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118726198#Comment_118726198

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118726198#Comment_118726198

Thanks, I thought it was too good to be true. He probably was a sneaky door to door salesman trying to get a sale.

loyatemu

the cashback deals are usually on plans with lower discounts anyway - if you're a heavy user of gas/electricity you may be better off skipping the cashback and going for the lower unit rates.

AngelaRI

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118726198#Comment_118726198

I assume they can't do the same if you go for a plan with a discounted unit rate but no welcome bonus? For me, personally, the savings over a 12 month contract period of a good discount, is worth more than a cashback (or initial bill reduction) on joining, as the whole point (for me) of switching is to get the monthly bills down. I've just recently signed up to a great deal with Bord Gais, but should someone else come along in 3-6 months with an even better deal that makes the ETF worth it, it's good to know the option is there.

But also yeah, black and white evidence here to never trust door to door salesmen. They're blatantly lying to get their sales, care more about their targets than the customers who will be literally paying the price for their little deceptions. Another reason they pressure people into acting right away and not giving them time to do proper research. Sneaky, and wrong - there must be some place to report them, surely? Or at least the companies they represent (goal would be to force these companies to provide proper training to their representatives and to discourage them from providing any misleading information like the "early termination fee getting to keep your welcome bonus" bit, perhaps some form of penalty to the company that allows their reps to provide false or misleading information, and then up to the company how they want to deal with the problem internally)

AngelaRI

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118726562#Comment_118726562

Exactly! If you calculate your total annual bill (based on current discount rates and last 12 month's usage), you'd probably end up saving a good deal more than the 'welcome bonus' value

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118726991#Comment_118726991

again, it depends - if you're a low user the cashback may be more valuable that what you save on the rates.

basically make sure you know exactly what your annual usage is, and plug those figures into Bonkers - don't select "I use the average".

EletricMan

Can you resign up for another deal with your existing company if you are out of contract with them?

ari101

Yes, but you may find they won't offer as good a deal to existing customers recontracting as you might get as a new customer.

Dempo1

Apparently I'm a valued customer of EI, so much so they've invited me to sign up for a very exciting offer and 2 year contract , I'll get a free climate smart emersion monitor worth €399 , that's not all, I get the use of this fine piece of equipment for €9.99 for first year and then €19.99 PA thereafter. Of course they'd also like me to swith to a smart tariff as part of this tremendously exciting offer.

But.......

Not only have I actually switched on my emersion for about 10 years, as a low usage customer if I had changed to a smart tariff after being plagued for 12 months to do so, my current bill would be twice what it is now.

At a glance, my last bill was infact made up of levies, vat and charges with a 3rd of the bill actual electricity usage 😳

Needless to say I won't be taking up the offer 😏

Cape Clear

Just having a look over electricity price increases in the last 12 months. I'm an electric only lad.

Energia 34pc

Airtricity 27pc

Electric Ireland 19pc

Bord Gais 22.5pc

BG quick out of the traps with their latest increase no doubt the rest will come along with similar in the coming weeks.

I'm currently with EI and both Energia and Airtricity are coming out cheaper for the next 12 months based on today's figures before increases are announced. I'm considering maybe the devil I know is the best option as they had the lowest increase previously.

Padraig Mor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118726978#Comment_118726978

I had an Airtricity rep swear blind to me that their customers didn't pay carbon tax because all their energy came from renewables!

meathman0

Anyone know if you can pull out of contract with Board Gais because of the price hike?

JTMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118803574#Comment_118803574

You can but you will pay a 50/100 EUR penalty. If telecoms companies increase their prices, you can exit your contract penalty free. Same does not apply in the energy sector and it's not right. Many energy companies operate dual pricing and charge more to existing customers (hike prices often several times during a contract) and in tandem offer bigger discounts to new customers off their "standard rates". CER, the regulator, should ban exit fees when an energy provider hikes prices and ban dual pricing.

amber2

Give them all a week or 10 days, once they see Board Gais getting away with it, they will all be on the increase so not much point moving and many customers switched last time round so we are stuck for another 6/7 months regardless.

Cape Clear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118726198#Comment_118726198

I am currently with Airtricity (electric only)and I rang their cancellations department shortly after their price increase announcement. Managed to get a €50 credit for staying with them. I had only moved in the last week or so and had €250 credit due as part of the deal. Just looking over the paperwork and I don't see any mention of them clawing back the cash back if I leave within the year. The girl that offered me the extra €50 didn't think it would happen either.

corks finest

I’m with Electric Ireland only

wondering if there’s any cheaper option left?

corks finest

Rang EI

turned out I was out of contract

anyway might be of help to someone here

new 12 months contract

e150 credit ( electric only)

plus 14 pc shared discount and another 7 pc early bill paid discount

Cape Clear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118880679#Comment_118880679

You did well. The best they would do for me was €75 credit and 14% discount. How does the early bill payment discount work?

corks finest

‘Cindy’ quoted me 7 pc from memory

simply by paying the bill on time

2 options 14 pc

or

7 pc gas 7 pc electric and e150

Tusky

The key is not to focus on the percentage discount or cashback but the unit price - it varies wildly. But there are no bargains to be found, only the least expensive option.

Cape Clear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118886171#Comment_118886171

If you have low usage a holiday home maybe the cashback might work out cheaper but as a rule for average users the unit price is the thing to pay most attention to. Standing Charges the next biggest line item on your bill also.

loyatemu

if you know your typical annual usage, stick it into Bonkers for a proper comparison of the total annual cost including any cashback. As Tusky said above, the percentage discounts are a bit meaningless as they all charge different standard rate and standing charge.

Tusky

My contract is up next week and plan on switching. What happens if the government credit is applied to my current provider's bill and there is money left over?

corks finest

It’s applied already

Tusky

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118888223#Comment_118888223

So it would be advisable to delay the switch until all credit is used?