Thoughts on esb smart meter install

The J Stands for Jay · 14-05-2021 3:27pm

punisher5112 wrote: »

But they'll make up for it during the week, peak time for example, you will end up paying a very big price if I'm right of course.

A Tesla powerwall could pay for itself pretty quickly on that tarrif.

Fighting Tao · 14-05-2021 3:29pm

Can’t wait to get one. I put in an early request. We don’t have a night rate and so are paying a fortune. Also there is no incentive to use electricity at night at the moment for us.

14-05-2021 3:30pm

Fighting Tao wrote: »

Can’t wait to get one. I put in an early request. We don’t have a night rate and so are paying a fortune. Also there is no incentive to use electricity at night at the moment for us.

you cant get night rate on the smart meter (at the moment).

The J Stands for Jay · 14-05-2021 3:30pm

coylemj wrote: »

I'm on a smart plan, I can download my usage data for up to the end of the previous day. It gives you a CSV file showing your usage (in kWh) for every half hour. I just got my first bill since I signed up to a smart plan. It shows my usage within each charge period.

What level of detail am I missing?

Nobody is under any illusion that we can all save money with smart meters. The point of them is to reward people who shift consumption away from peak periods so as to flatten the demand curve. Which will reduce the overall cost of generation.

Do you get any notification of tarrifs changing? A lot of the guff you hear about smart meters is adaptable/reactive/whatever they're called tarrifs. If they don't tell you when they're putting up the cost, there'll be no reduction in use, just am increase in costs.

Fighting Tao · 14-05-2021 3:36pm

BrownFinger wrote: »

you cant get night rate on the smart meter (at the moment).

But the option will be there in future no doubt. At the moment we have no chance of a night rate.

14-05-2021 3:40pm

I hope when they do introduce a night rate electricity you won't have to pay a higher standing charge like you do at the moment.

coylemj · 14-05-2021 3:43pm

BrownFinger wrote: »

you cant get night rate on the smart meter (at the moment).

If you sign up for a smart plan, you pay the lowest tariff for units consumed between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m.

https://www.bordgaisenergy.ie/home/our-tariffs

You're really doing a great job of highlighting your total ignorance of what smart meters are about.

14-05-2021 3:45pm

punisher5112 wrote: »

But they'll make up for it during the week, peak time for example, you will end up paying a very big price if I'm right of course.

the price will be the price regardless is you are smart metered or not.

TheChizler · 14-05-2021 7:15pm

BrownFinger wrote: »

I seen it on facebook

Oh right you're messing!

Junglejoe · 15-05-2021 12:12pm

I haven't read up on the latest tariffs bit I'm definitely not convinced on the idea of incentivising everyone to use electricity at night, it brings a new set of hazards

Previously you need a fixed load at night to be considering it

Fighting Tao · 15-05-2021 12:23pm

Junglejoe wrote: »

I haven't read up on the latest tariffs bit I'm definitely not convinced on the idea of incentivising everyone to use electricity at night, it brings a new set of hazards

Previously you need a fixed load at night to be considering it

Aren’t most people already incentivised to use electricity at night already with meters that do day and night?

Also, electricity generation continues at night, so it makes sense to try to reduce use at certain times to potentially avoid blackouts, and use what is generated at night.

Junglejoe · 15-05-2021 12:29pm

Forgot about EVs when I was posting there so pretty much everyone will eventually have a defined off-peak load

I'm sure that could be done separate similar to NSH without encouraging use of appliances overnight

I mean, I grew up learning to isolate all appliances at bedtime
Now we are probably being encouraged to do the opposite
Fire risk is not what it was but still

coylemj · 15-05-2021 12:54pm

Fighting Tao wrote: »

Aren’t most people already incentivised to use electricity at night already with meters that do day and night?

Before smart meters, most people had a single analog meter which couldn't tell when the units were consumed.

Fighting Tao wrote: »

Also, electricity generation continues at night, so it makes sense to try to reduce use at certain times to potentially avoid blackouts, and use what is generated at night.

+1 a lot of electricity is generated by wind power and since the wind blows 24x7, a lot of this energy would otherwise go to waste because Turlough Hill is currently the only facility where power can be stored for later distribution.

So it makes sense to shift consumption to offpeak times of the day. And to incentivise domestic consumers to reduce their usage during the peak 5-7 p.m. slot. This will be achieved by variable tariffs. Which is the whole point of smart meters.

Cerco · 15-05-2021 1:20pm

BrownFinger wrote: »

Its no theory ,
You will pay more if you move from a analogue meter to a smart meter.
Its to do with true power & apparent power .
You don't get billed for apparent power on the old meters but you will on a smart.

Maybe someone fill in more info, I cant remember ......:o

What domestic appliances would require significant power factor correction?

Junglejoe · 15-05-2021 2:18pm

On a related note is TLI recruiting heavily ?

Their newspaper ad says they're "looking for electricians to fill 45 vans" whatever that means but there's nothing online

Don't know if that means they need 45 electricians or is that just the number of vans

tDw6u1bj · 15-05-2021 4:35pm

Fighting Tao wrote: »

Can’t wait to get one. I put in an early request. We don’t have a night rate and so are paying a fortune. Also there is no incentive to use electricity at night at the moment for us.

Unless someone has something like storage heaters/electric car charging etc. that is a big consumer then night rates will cost people more money.

Night power is much cheaper but day rates are slightly higher. We use very little power at night and even doing stuff like running your dishwasher etc. at night won't be nearly enough to make the difference.

tDw6u1bj · 15-05-2021 4:38pm

punisher5112 wrote: »

They will increase prices as I said

I've got bad news for you, the price is going to increase anyway.

The only difference is you're going to blame it on the meters and not on inflation.

punisher5112 · 15-05-2021 4:44pm

tDw6u1bj wrote: »

I've got bad news for you, the price is going to increase anyway.

The only difference is you're going to blame it on the meters and not on inflation.

No I'm not.

Pataman · 15-05-2021 7:22pm

Junglejoe wrote: »

On a related note is TLI recruiting heavily ?

Their newspaper ad says they're "looking for electricians to fill 45 vans" whatever that means but there's nothing online

Don't know if that means they need 45 electricians or is that just the number of vans

"Guinness Book of Records"

tDw6u1bj · 15-05-2021 7:44pm

Junglejoe wrote: »

On a related note is TLI recruiting heavily ?

Their newspaper ad says they're "looking for electricians to fill 45 vans"

One electrician who fits into Vans shoes, size 45

Junglejoe · 15-05-2021 7:48pm

tDw6u1bj wrote: »

One electrician who fits into Vans shoes, size 45

They're only looking for a few electricians on the advertised website

Probably a bit of self-promotion in it

crossmolinalad · 27-05-2021 11:51am

Fighting Tao wrote: »

But the option will be there in future no doubt. At the moment we have no chance of a night rate.

Yes there is

https://www.bordgaisenergy.ie/home/our-plans

crossmolinalad · 27-05-2021 11:59am

[PHP][/PHP]

Junglejoe wrote: »

I haven't read up on the latest tariffs bit I'm definitely not convinced on the idea of incentivising everyone to use electricity at night, it brings a new set of hazards

Previously you need a fixed load at night to be considering it

There is a free use on a Saturday or a Sunday so one of those days in the weekend would be the day for using things like washing machines tumble driers Heating up the house with electric heaters and switching off oil heat for that time
Timers on fridge and freezers so they get switched off on the 5 to 7 peak time
If you use electric for cooking be ready before 5 or do it after 7 or switch to (bottled)gas
Cant wait for my smartmeter

kabakuyu · 27-05-2021 5:05pm

Free Time Sat Electricity

Discount duration
12 months
Discounted electricity unit rates (c/kWh)

Day 18.31

Peak 22.36

Night 13.46

Check what you pay per unit at present,those rates above seem excessive to
me.I am paying 19 cents day and 9.41 night (ex vat)at the moment, I also get 25% affinity discount before vat.

coylemj · 29-05-2021 3:46pm

crossmolinalad wrote: »

There is a free use on a Saturday or a Sunday so one of those days in the weekend would be the day for using things like washing machines tumble driers Heating up the house with electric heaters and switching off oil heat for that time
Timers on fridge and freezers so they get switched off on the 5 to 7 peak time
If you use electric for cooking be ready before 5 or do it after 7 or switch to (bottled)gas

Tumble dryer, electric cooking and electric heaters, yes they are big consumers. The link is heat, that's what uses power.

I wouldn't worry about the fridge or freezer, they're just motors and use little power. And I'd suggest that it would not be a good idea to leave the fridge off between 5 and 7 p.m. - the time of day when people are opening and closing the door to get butter, milk etc. Suprisingly, a washing machine isn't a hungry power beast. I measured my (wash only) machine on a cottons 40 C short wash (with 1500 RPM spin) and the whole cycle only clocked up 0.4 of a unit.

You omitted ironing clothes, that uses a fair bit. I'd say that 30 minutes ironing will probably use more power than the washing machine that did the wash. It's worth repeating so I will..... it's heat that consumes power, big time.

Sleeper12 · 04-04-2022 3:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118877416#Comment_118877416

I think you are confusing them with prepay smart meters.

The ESB are rolling out smart meters for every household. They won't cost you 1 cent more than the old one. There is scope to save money on your bill with one of these when they bring in different rates for different times of the day. Some providers are already offering better deals on smart meters compared to old meters. Some companies are already offering free electricity one day over each weekend

https://www.bonkers.ie/blog/gas-electricity/smart-meter-tariffs-here-s-everything-you-need-to-know/