# Energy Costs/Plans



## Harry31 (30 Jan 2014)

Can anyone recommend an up to date comparison site to compare Elec Ire/Airtricity & Bord Gas prices.  I'm on Airtricity but think I should switch to save some money.  Looked at each of the websites & you have to do a fair bit of searching to even get to their rates pages - they should be the first thing you see surely? It's only electricity I'm interested in both urban & rural - so any suggestions? 
Thanks


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## diver (30 Jan 2014)

Try www.bonkers.ie  I find this website quite easy once you have all your billing and consumption details to hand.


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## Guns N Roses (30 Jan 2014)

Try [broken link removed]


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## diver (30 Jan 2014)

diver said:


> Try www.bonkers.ie I find this website quite easy once you have all your billing and consumption details to hand.




After I posted my reply earlier, it jolted me into doing a little shopping online for better deals as I was out of contract on gas, electricity and phone/broadband. I had been putting this on the long finger.

For a few phone calls today, I managed to save an approx. total of 250 euro per year on all the utilities above..............time well spent today and I will be doing the same this time next year!


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## Harry31 (30 Jan 2014)

Hi I am still going thru the options but will update what I decided. I'm going to have a go at tv/phone & broadband too, I'm with UPC at the moment. The links here have been very helpful. Delighted I asked the question!


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## diver (30 Jan 2014)

sahd said:


> Energia launched today - and it looks like their gas and electricity prices are fairly competitive (for now).
> http://www.*****************.com/energia-residential-gas-and-electricity-prices.html
> 
> Out of interest - which energy provider(s)did you switch to.?


 
 I was on duel fuel (gas and electricity) billing with Airtricity since June 2010.
 Today I changed my gas supplier to Flogas Optimiser Direct Debit discount, saving approx eur 102.00 per year.

 I changed my electricity supplier to Electric Ireland Value Saver Direct debit and saved approx euro 95.00

 I then rang UPC who provide me with broadband and home phone at a current average monthly cost of 54.00.......that was for 50Mb Fibre power BB and Anytime phone (rarely used the allocated minutes and never rang international numbers).
 They switched me to 120Mb limited and Anytime 150 calls (150 free minutes anytime to irish landlines and mobiles and international landlines) all for 37 euro a month.
 So total yearly savings with UPC = 204 euro

 So Gas saving  = 102.00
      Elect saving =  95.00
      UPC            = 204.00

 Total annual saving = 401.00 euro on my current usage rate with all previous suppliers.

 As an extra bonus, I also found out from my fact finding call to UPC that they had been mistakenly charging me a standalone fee of 6 euro monthly since Nov 2009. They now owe me a refund of 306 euro, I shall be requesting a full refund and not a credit towards my bill.

 It really pays to shop around and scrutinise all bills with a fine toothcomb!


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## MrEarl (31 Jan 2014)

diver said:
			
		

> It really pays to shop around and scrutinise all bills with a fine toothcomb!



Entirely correct.  

However, my own experience has shown me that:

- it often pays to contact you existing provider(s), tell them what your new deal is and what it can save you if you move service provider, then ask thm to *beat* it.  Matching the new provider is not good enough, given the existing provider has already had you as a cusomter for XXX period of time.

- Everyone should put this in their diaries to do the same exercise once per year, or 18 month period of that is the period you signed up with your existing provider for.


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## diver (31 Jan 2014)

sahd said:


> Did you check Bord Gais prices? - they are cheaper that Electric Ireland for Electricity (going by your figures - you could have saved another €30 a year.)


 
 I did check them and they seemed the cheapest and probably still are........I chose not to go with them in the end as their billing arrangement I was being offered is based on an average billing method over a 12 month period according to a person I spoke to on www.bonkers.ie 
 I prefer to pay for exactly what I use rather than use an "averages" billing system.......no other reason than that!

 Still a day well spent yesterday!


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## diver (31 Jan 2014)

MrEarl said:


> Entirely correct.
> 
> However, my own experience has shown me that:
> 
> ...


 
 Mr Earl,

 I totally agree. While I shopped around and changed supplier for gas and electricity, I stayed with UPC for broadband and phone as I believe their broadband speeds etc are the best around.......I downgraded my phone package while upgrading my broadband.......and made a saving of 17 euro a month.

 It's sometimes not all about switching. The key message is to shop around every year at contract renewal time and it's probably the only New Year's resolution I'll keep year on year!


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## DrMoriarty (1 Apr 2014)

An update on the competing offers from Energia, OneBigSwitch etc. here.


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