# Why dont Airtricity advertise?



## thespecialon (30 Jan 2009)

Hi,

Firstly as backgrond to this when I heard ESB had announced a 3.5% pay increase for staff,i was sickened - we need to be reducing costs!! If we can provide cheaper utilities is will encourage more investment ffrom companies abroad(As well as help keep companies here),helping the whole country!!This fact seems to be lost on ESB

Anyhow this prompted me to look around for alternatives to ESB..I came across Airtricity,they claim I cam make a 10% saving on ESB(I am a residental customer) if I agree to a few simple rules - Electronic Bill,Setup Direct Debit + Flat Rate(Monthly bills stay around same amount) + Monthly Bills.

Nothing major there so I am currently in the process of moving to Airtricity...This looks like a win win for me, vote with my feet by moving away from ESB and saving of 10% which is around 200Eur a year to me.I know my electricity is still in theory provided by the ESB but still makes me feel somewhat better...

My question is really,why dont airtricity advertise more? I have seem nothing about them in the press,TV etc Or is there some big catch to them that I am missing??

I am sure there would be lots more people like me who would move away from ESB if they knew they could?

By the way I have no affiliation to Airtricity!!Just a serious dislike for ESB after this latest pay increase

T.


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## G-Money (5 Feb 2009)

Fair play.. Dont know what the story is here, they dont seem to try too hard as a private company. I am going to have a look myself..


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## Eblanoid (5 Feb 2009)

Just signed up to them thanks to this post.  Looking forward to 10% discount compared to ESB.

From today's paper:
*Airtricity hoping to win 500,000  customers*

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/airtricity-hoping-to-win-500000--customers-1628222.html


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## gillarosa (5 Feb 2009)

As far as I'm aware they only take on Business accounts at this time, not residential.


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## Caveat (5 Feb 2009)

gillarosa said:


> As far as I'm aware they only take on Business accounts at this time, not residential.


 
Yes, I think this is the case - we are with them at work BTW.


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## NorfBank (5 Feb 2009)

from the link 

Renewable energy firm [broken link removed] hopes to attract 500,000 residential electricity and gas customers in the Republic over the next five years after re-entering that domestic market following a three-year hiatus.


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## sandrat (5 Feb 2009)

gillarosa said:


> As far as I'm aware they only take on Business accounts at this time, not residential.


 
I thought so too, it used to be the case up until recently.

here is form to


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## Eblanoid (5 Feb 2009)

gillarosa said:


> As far as I'm aware they only take on Business accounts at this time, not residential.



No, I'm a domestic customer.  If you read the Indo article it makes it clear that they want 500,000 DOMESTIC customers.


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## neiphin (5 Feb 2009)

have you asked yourself why electricity in this country is so expensive ?, we used to have the second cheapest electricity in europe, now we are second most expensive, 
but why ?

competition

but to have competition we needed more companies providing electricity, but they needed a margin

hence prices had to rise , to encorage companies to enter the irish market, 
so without the esb necessaraly asking for it the regulator pushed up prices

so this would have automatically raised esb"s profits and as such and having signed up to the pay agreements the esb were obliged to increas the wages 

so you can thank mary harney, charlie mcreavy and their free market friends for having to pay your e200+ extra
did you phone bill get any smaller after eircom was given away to those asset strippers


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## Eblanoid (5 Feb 2009)

neiphin said:


> did you phone bill get any smaller after eircom was given away to those asset strippers



Yes, substantially smaller, and for that much smaller bill, I get far better service. Telecom Eireann, when it was owned by the State, simply ripped off the public.  It also took weeks, if not months, to install phone lines.

Technology has also bypassed the likes of Telecom Eireann. People can now communicate using mobiles from a range of operators for a fraction of the cost of having a landline.


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## bamboozle (5 Feb 2009)

am i right in thinking any price reductions passed by the energy regulator will have to be honoured by both Airtricity & ESB...wouldnt like to change and then see ESB reduce their rates to squeeze the competition.


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## neiphin (5 Feb 2009)

that is correct bamboozle, the regulator will tell the utilities what the price per unit will be


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## sandrat (6 Feb 2009)

regulator only controls ESB prices not airtricity see here


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## Askar (6 Feb 2009)

Eblanoid said:


> Yes, substantially smaller, and for that much smaller bill, I get far better service. Telecom Eireann, when it was owned by the State, simply ripped off the public. It also took weeks, if not months, to install phone lines.
> 
> Technology has also bypassed the likes of Telecom Eireann. People can now communicate using mobiles from a range of operators for a fraction of the cost of having a landline.


 
You are talking about a problem that was over 15 years ago. 

The question today should be do we have a cheap world class telecommunication service, and have TE invested in broadband infrastructure and facilitated local loop unbundling. We have lagged on all indices in this respect. The State has had to intervene in funding broadband infrastructure in more rural areas, and people consider themselves lucky to have an expensive 1 GB connection. Up to relatively recently this was not available in some places 20 miles from Dublin. Meanwhile, places like the UK and Japan are moving to 50 GB and 100 GB connections. All this in the context of Ireland inc. trying to become a knowledge economy, and reports back in the 90s indicating that a world class telecommunications infrastructure was essential for this.


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## Eblanoid (6 Feb 2009)

bamboozle said:


> wouldnt like to change and then see ESB reduce their rates to squeeze the competition.


From the above Indo article:


> Airtricity said it will also match any price reductions introduced by the ESB in response to its re-entry to the market.


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## sandrat (6 Feb 2009)

not exactly competition if they are the same price, didn't prices have to go up to allow competition be able to compete?


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## gillarosa (6 Feb 2009)

Eblanoid said:


> No, I'm a domestic customer. If you read the Indo article it makes it clear that they want 500,000 DOMESTIC customers.


 
Thank you for your little petulant shout. You may notice the post with the link to the article was a mere few minutes prior to mine. I have read it now and I am confused. The representative of Airtricity claims to both 'slash 10% off the price of electricity' and 'match any price reduction' the ESB introduce after Airtricty re-enter the domestic market, a few years after departing it and dumping 8,000 Customers. 

Also, you don't work for Airtricity by any chance do you?


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## Eblanoid (6 Feb 2009)

gillarosa said:


> Also, you don't work for Airtricity by any chance do you?



Yes, I spend 8 hours a day in Airtricity's human-sized hamster wheel.  How do you think all that lovely electricity gets generated?


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## gillarosa (6 Feb 2009)

Eblanoid said:


> Yes, I spend 8 hours a day in Airtricity's human-sized hamster wheel. How do you think all that lovely electricity gets generated?


 
Cool! get running then, all those potential new Customers will have kettles to boil!


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## SLS (6 Feb 2009)

Just to correct a few anomalies, I see listed here

The regulator defines the tariff that must be charged by the former monopoly provider of electricity. This is termed the PES (Public Electricity Supply) tariff and is currently provided by ESB
A similar concept exists for Bord Gais, being the same gas supplier

More info is here is you wish to read further
http://www.cer.ie/GetAttachment.aspx?id=6f596ad4-ec93-45d6-934f-3d5a593d7fd1


Anyone else with an electricity license can in effect a charge variation as they see fit.  2008 saw the introduction of the Single Electricity Market for wholesale electricity purchases which means that both wholesale and retail electricity providers now buy and sell from a gross pool.
I would be expecting any company in the market to begin to offer either discounts on the PES tariffs or revised structures over the coming years as competitio increases.

Lots more info here for anyone who is still awake
http://www.allislandmarket.com/


I work in the industry rather than for either of the company mentioned although I did sign up with Airtricity through word of month a few months ago when they announced they would undercut the ESB PES tariff.


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## Hillsalt (6 Feb 2009)

I  didn't read all of the posts so apolgies if this has been mentioned.

I saw an ad for Airtricity in today's Irish Indo (6/2/09)


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## jamieb (12 Feb 2009)

Bord Gais are moving into the Electricity Market for residential customers very shortly.  An agency in Harolds X are interviewing for field sales reps at the moment so people will be knocking on your door to sign you up very shortly.  Get this though, the basic salary is 25 k a year and the commission is 85 per cent.  I spoke to the agency and apparently the targets are very reachable.  I reckon it will be an easy one to sell as was Esat when they competed with Telecom about 9 years ago.  Also there is supposed to be a scottish energy company entering the market later on in the year and Bord Gais are getting in there now before the competition.


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## serotoninsid (13 Feb 2009)

I am only after signing up to Airtricity. The 10% saving on unit electricity for domestic users is only possible provided you sign up to direct debit payment and 'bill leveling' ie. they will provide you with the same bill each month - averaged out based on your current yearly useage and adjusted as per periodic meter readings.
However, be aware that there has been some bad press for customer service reported. A current customer reported that they would not offer him the new deal until he threatened to switch back to ESB.


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## limerick123 (13 Feb 2009)

you can get 9% discount without doing the bill levellling.


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## demoivre (18 Feb 2009)

jamieb said:


> Bord Gais are moving into the Electricity Market for residential customers very shortly.



From midday today you can switch to Bord Gáis for your electricity according to RTE. It's prices will be at least 10% lower than the ESB, for the next three years.


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## TarfHead (18 Feb 2009)

jamieb said:


> Also there is supposed to be a scottish energy company entering the market later on in the year ..


 
Aren't Airtricity Scottish owned ? Would this be another Scottish provider ?

Interesting figures in [broken link removed], apart from the partisan political polemic.

Also, hasn't the Electricity Regulator being raising ESB prices for no good reason, other than to make the market attractive for competition ?


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## Fnergg (20 Feb 2009)

TarfHead said:


> Aren't Airtricity Scottish owned ? Would this be another Scottish provider ?...Also, hasn't the Electricity Regulator being raising ESB prices for no good reason, other than to make the market attractive for competition ?



Yes, Airtricity is owned by Scottish And Southern Energy -  a very progressive and successful company.

Yes, the Regulator needs to introduce competition into the domestic market and so ESB's prices will remain higher than the new entrants - Bord Gais and Airtricity  - for quite some time to come. Otherwise, there would be no competition. It ain't competition in the true sense of course: ESB has it's hands tied behind its back.

Nor is ESB worried about this. It is fully in agreement with the Regulator on the need to reduce its dominant position in the domestic market. It fully expects that it will lose hundreds of thousands of domestic customers over the next few years. Contrary to various media reports ESB is not in the least bit shocked at the migration of several thousand customers already to Bord Gais. It is surprised that it hasn't happened before now.

So, what is in it for ESB? When it is no longer the dominant player the Regulatory shackles will be taken off and it will be allowed to compete in the true sense with the other suppliers. It will then be able to compete on price and customer service will be the only real differentiator between the different companies. The Irish electricity customer can only benefit from this. 

Regards,

Fnergg


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## SLS (21 Feb 2009)

I agree it will be interesting to see if/how long before the Regulator reacts.

I'll be also interested to see whether the linkes of Viridian and Endessa, will make a move into the domestic market (elec and/or gas) as well or whether they'll stick to their current commercial markets.

Still its all good for the bank balance at the end of the day..


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## Anita T (29 Apr 2009)

jamieb said:


> Bord Gais are moving into the Electricity Market for residential customers very shortly. An agency in Harolds X are interviewing for field sales reps at the moment so people will be knocking on your door to sign you up very shortly. Get this though, the basic salary is 25 k a year and the commission is 85 per cent. I spoke to the agency and apparently the targets are very reachable. I reckon it will be an easy one to sell as was Esat when they competed with Telecom about 9 years ago. Also there is supposed to be a scottish energy company entering the market later on in the year and Bord Gais are getting in there now before the competition.


 

Can some one explain "the commission is 85 per cent". Is it of the 25K


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## mosstown (8 Jul 2009)

i need to arrange to get an electric supplier for our new build.  would anyone know please who the cheapest supplier is in the irish market, ie . Bord Gais, Airtricity, ESB.  we are based in the UK so not familiar with the energy market in Ireland and we do not require a gas supplier (electric only).  Thanks in advance.  Mosstown


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## mcaul (8 Jul 2009)

mosstown said:


> i need to arrange to get an electric supplier for our new build. would anyone know please who the cheapest supplier is in the irish market, ie . Bord Gais, Airtricity, ESB. we are based in the UK so not familiar with the energy market in Ireland and we do not require a gas supplier (electric only). Thanks in advance. Mosstown


 
you'll need to contact esb networks - they control all the infrastructure, meter reading etc etc. then you can choose who to buy your supply from - esb supply, airtricity or bord gais

[broken link removed]


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## irishlinks (8 Jul 2009)

If you are not going to use gas  - than Airtricity will be the cheapest if you pay by DD and opt for their payment plan - where you spread the payments over 12 months. Not a massive difference between the 3 suppliers  - but every little helps ...  
As Mosstown said - ESB will be your first contact to arrange connection. After you are connected and getting bills - then you can opt to switch to another supplier.

Electricity Prices


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## ajapale (8 Jul 2009)

*Why dont Airtricity advertise?
*
They are running  some tv ads these days.


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## MANTO (16 Jul 2009)

ajapale said:


> *Why dont Airtricity advertise?*
> 
> They are running some tv ads these days.


 
Seen the Ad on TV3 last night, not very captivating...


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## amgd28 (16 Jul 2009)

My 3-year old daughter thought it was great..


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## MANTO (23 Jul 2009)

amgd28 said:


> My 3-year old daughter thought it was great..


 

Did she make it?


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## potnoodler (31 Jul 2009)

I've wondered about the lack of advertisement myself, considering the efforts that Bord Gais, the savings are actually much better than BG which are time limited to first year or two while airtricity are 13% regardless, I changed myself about six months ago and am very happy with the service, electricity bills weren't that high in first place so savings aren't massive but I feel better with being responsible for less pollution.
It will be interesting to see how the oncoming carbon tax will have an effect

And Gillarosa even though I don't work for them I actively recommend them to people  I know, much better for everyone in the long run


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## WarrenBuffet (31 Jul 2009)

potnoodler said:


> electricity bills weren't that high in first place so savings aren't massive but I feel better with being responsible for less pollution.
> It will be interesting to see how the oncoming carbon tax will have an effect
> 
> And Gillarosa even though I don't work for them I actively recommend them to people  I know, much better for everyone in the long run



Airtricity ads - without doubt some of the most misleading advertising currently out there. 

Little children telling you how airtricity are great because they get their power from renewable energy resources. This is completely misleading. Irelands electricity market is a gross pool market - generators bid into the pool and suppliers then buy from it. Physical contracts between generators and suppliers are not allowed. 

Therefore Airtricity are selling the same electricity as Bord Gais and ESB. Their claims that their energy is somehow greener assumes that electrons from wind farms are somehow biased towards their domestic customers!! Ludicrous.


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## samanthajane (31 Jul 2009)

I had someone knocking at my door last night about Airtricity. 

Made no mention of how their energy was greener, just that with bord gas that the prices will be going up after six months but they promise to always be 10% cheaper.  

And that in a few months time they will be providing gas aswell so i could make even more savings. 

Nice guy compared to some could clearly see I wasn't interested in moving just yet i had only just switch to bord gas. Told me info in a few mins and that was that. Brownie points for him for not trying over and over again to sign me up, so when they do start to provide gas i'll look into it further.


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## potnoodler (1 Aug 2009)

WarrenBuffet said:


> Airtricity ads - without doubt some of the most misleading advertising currently out there.
> 
> Little children telling you how airtricity are great because they get their power from renewable energy resources. This is completely misleading. Irelands electricity market is a gross pool market - generators bid into the pool and suppliers then buy from it. Physical contracts between generators and suppliers are not allowed.
> 
> Therefore Airtricity are selling the same electricity as Bord Gais and ESB. Their claims that their energy is somehow greener assumes that electrons from wind farms are somehow biased towards their domestic customers!! Ludicrous.



Didn't see any of those ads myself, of course everyone understands that the actual KW of electricity comes out of the national grid so therefore impossible to decipher who or what generated it , what is important is that the amount of KW I use and how much Airtricity pump into the national grid are related ,85% of airtricitys electricity is generated by renewable sources.
The actual unit is irrelevant only the end result, never heard anyone say any different.


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## irishlinks (1 Aug 2009)

samanthajane said:


> I had someone knocking at my door last night about Airtricity.
> 
> Made no mention of how their energy was greener, just that with bord gas that the prices will be going up after six months but they promise to always be 10% cheaper.



Looks like he was not telling the truth  ......

From the airtricity website -  discounts only guaranteed till Oct 2010

Terms & Conditions apply. % discount based on the ESB kilowatt hour rates applicable until 31/01/10. Future discounts will vary

From  

Also - that 85% figure for renewable energy is now 79% - and it will drop even more as they get more customers. The figure was high because they didn't have many customers - so originall a large proportion of the electricity they sold was "green". But as they grow they will be selling more and more "non green" (unless they are increasing their green generation as fast as they are getting customers.


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## potnoodler (2 Aug 2009)

wasn't aware of those changes will keep a eye on them(although the agent who signed me up assured me there was no time limitation on my discount of 13% and I 'd always get it, so unless its for new customers or I just got the call centre line must mail them and see) ,
 but still happy with my choice, regarding the salesman not mentioning the green aspect its probably down to not getting a overall favourable reaction on the doorsteps. Generally people are more cost minded at the moment and the power of BG advertising is hard to overcome. People also have a tendency to associate green with the likes of organic and free range, in other words more expensive than the traditional alternative


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## serotoninsid (2 Aug 2009)

irishlinks said:


> Looks like he was not telling the truth  ......


Door step selling should be outlawed pure and simple.  Most of the time, its a case of misinformation and pressurised aggressive selling tactics.


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## WarrenBuffet (6 Aug 2009)

potnoodler said:


> Didn't see any of those ads myself, of course everyone understands that the actual KW of electricity comes out of the national grid so therefore impossible to decipher who or what generated it , what is important is that the amount of KW I use and how much Airtricity pump into the national grid are related ,85% of airtricitys electricity is generated by renewable sources.





potnoodler said:


> The actual unit is irrelevant only the end result, never heard anyone say any different.


 
That 85% (or 79% or whatever it may be) is a play on statistics. There is no correlation between the amount of energy Airtricity sell to domestic customers and the amount they generate using their windfarms. 

Say Airtricity have 100 MW of wind installed on the Irish system that they own. If they sign up 120 MW of domestic customers that does not mean that ~80% of their electricity sold to domestic customers comes from green sources! 

Since they buy energy from a gross pool market ESB, Bord Gais and Airtricity sell the exact same percentage of electricity generated from wind, gas, oil, coal, peat, hydro. No one supplier can justly claim to sell greener energy than the other. There just is no correlation between the amount of energy sold to domestic customers by Airtricity and the amount they generate using their windfarms. 

Their advertising is misleading and wrong.


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