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

Why did you talk to them for 15 minutes?

He told me who he was, why he was calling, asked why I left Energia early, security questions, asked about my usage, tried to get me to move to a smart tariff and why I wouldn't when I refused, told me about the great offer he was making, didn't believe me when I told him the tariff I had been on with Energia etc etc

The final part of the conversation was me asking could I be put back on the tariff I was on AND get the €150 sign-up bonus but no joy.

I am a bit confused by the above post and Yuno's text:

You can join Yuno Energy and avail of this plan without a smart meter, however, to avail of the full benefits and usage insight offered in the Yuno Energy app, you will need to agree to have a smart meter installed by ESBN.

My question is this, can you be a customer of Yuno on a non-activated smart meter? I know how I use electricity without Yuno insights. My only requirement is they bill me for the units I use.

Ok ..you must have an activated meter ?

However, that is not what they say above. Activated meter is only for full benefits and insights. In plain English they are not saying an activated meter is conditional on the supply. If it is, then the text I quoted is false and misleading.

Also if you search on switcher for non-smart plans, why would a a Yuno smart plan be top of the list ? That's a false result if you are searching for non-smart plans.

If you don’t have a smart meter when you join then you will end up with a smart meter that will be used for data

You don’t have to be in a smart plan though

Request a meter is not the same as install a smart meter.

You can refuse a smart meter, by contacting ESB networks and telling them you don’t want one.

I joined Yuno as the rates worked best for the usage. I’ve no personal connection to any provider, and simply go with the best rate for the usage.

It says you do not need a smart meter, and they cannot activate your smart meter without your explicit consent. However, I would not trust them not to activate it knowing you cannot reverse it. Its a no loose for them, which it should not be, where they action something against your wishes.

With this potential underhandedness about them activating any smart meter, I might just contact ESBN and have them remove my non-activated smart meter. This was installed without my consent to install it.

I am still at a loss as to why or how a Smart only plan result is returned when you filter /search for non-smart plans.

This is on Switcher and that is returned when you search for non-smart plans. From reading it, I would assume you must be given a choice to opt in for user insights, and if you were to decline, they can't activate the meter, as that is what they are saying the smart meter is required to access. The supply of energy is not conditional on accepting full benefits and insights via the app.

It's all clear as mud!..😃

@bren2001

I went back a few pages ...I dont doubt they are burying some term in their conditions but why are Yuno (offering smart only plans), showing up in a non-smart plan search on Switcher, and why do they (Switcher) state you do not need a smart meter for that plan ? That cannot be correct if they are relying on some condition to activate your meter when you just want a non-smart plan?

I only want a 24hr rate, so I dont know how they could put me on a different rate to that.

It just sounds like misleading BS marketing from both Switcher, maybe Bonkers, and definitely from Yuno.

Explicit consent is you giving clear consent to something, and being fully aware of what you are giving consent for. If there is ambiguity, it cannot be explicit consent.

Lots of people signed up for smart insights with EI not understanding it activates your meter. However, all T&Cs are clear just nobody (most people) reads them. Im not going to argue semantics. It just has to be in the T&Cs and selecting a smart plan is consent.

@bren2001

It's not semantics if you are not told what the implications of signing up for smart insights is, with EI or any other provider. If people don't read the T&C's that's on them, but I do.

At the moment I am confused as to how a search for something I want — a non-smart plan —delivers a result that, although it says you dont need a smart meter, you actually do as it's a smart only plan, not a non-smart plan.

I am surprised you don't get that, and are trying to defend the ambiguity by bringing EI or other people into it. A smart plan cannot be non-smart, or vice versa. It's not semantics.

The language on the switcher site cannot be any clearer, you do not need a smart meter to avail of this plan. That is either true, or false. It cannot be both.

I said above that I can get daily usage data (aka insights) from ESBN from my non-activated meter, so why cant Yuno get this ? Maybe it's because they need your explicit consent to get that data ..Google explicit consent. It's often abused, which is not good practice.

Finally, perhaps you could offer your thoughts into why a smart plan is offered when the search criteria was for non-smart plans? Someone believing they are buying a non-smart plan will be off their guard when user insights etc are mentioned. Clearly they would say no if they were told their smart meter would have to be activated to get these. This is the reason why sales staff at EI and other utilities cloak or mask the activation behind fancy or unclear language, but then rely on customers agreeing to the T&C's as their defence.

Oh, I paste this here again in case you missed it...whats unclear or semantic about the first two lines?

I think this "unactivated" smart meter phrase that is being bandied about is being used completely in the wrong. Any working meter that is installed, smart or otherwise, is automatically activated as it wouldn't obviously record electricity usage if left "unactivated". It is however the same as the old 24 hour meter with the exception of being capable of reading the usage so no need to submit readings. Unless you sign up to a smart plan the smart meter is just a replacement for the old one.

I tried to switch to Pinergy a few years ago but they said I cant because I live in an apartment.

However, my supplier Bord Gais has now adopted prepaid anyway so its sortof like it.

I'll hazard a guess that I'm not the only one who lost interest in whatever you think you're on about a long time ago.