# Away for one month with no significant change in ESB bill



## PATVAN (26 Jan 2011)

Hi there

Just wanted to know if anyone else has had a similar issue to myself or if anyone can give there opinion as to why this situation as occurred.

Over the last year my Bi monthly ESB has been around 800 to 845 units which roughly works out to around €150. The bill for Sep and Oct is an estimation, which is 933 units the only one that is that high.

During December I was away for a full month within subsequent billing period in which there was nearly no Electricity usage.... No lights, no sockets left on except the freezer, no immersion, nothing left on standby and only the boiler on for 2 hours in the day...

I get my next bill and its for 638 units  which works out to €126 now considering they over estimated my normal usage the month before by about a 100 units, that leaves around 100 units of a difference for the time away for a full month... 

I cant make any sense of this I would have expected at least 2/3 the amount of units.


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## niceoneted (26 Jan 2011)

Firstly I take it that the bill was an actual reading. 
While the previous estimation was 933 units it may have been more than this and not less as you must remember your into the autumn period and lights etc are used more - did you take the actual reading at this time? 
It is a bimonthly bill and while you were away for one of those months again it is winter and you may have had lights on etc. high usage for the month you were there.
What rating is your freezer seeing as you say it's one of the only items in use while you were away?


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## rustbucket (26 Jan 2011)

Isnt  it about time that the ESB got their act together regarding billing. The use of estimates for billing in this day and age is crazy. Why not invest the profits they have been posting for years into a better meter system that bills you directly for actual usage, not estimates.

Surely it cant be that difficult


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## Welfarite (26 Jan 2011)

rustbucket said:


> Isnt it about time that the ESB got their act together regarding billing. The use of estimates for billing in this day and age is crazy. Why not invest the profits they have been posting for years into a better meter system that bills you directly for actual usage, not estimates.
> 
> Surely it cant be that difficult


 I don't know what your suggesting regarding 'better meter system' that 'bills you directly'? Are you suggesting computerised linking to centre? That would cost a fortune to install, i'd imagine. The idea of estimating is so that they save money on sending out people to read the meters. In fact, it was introduced as a cost-cutting measure a number of years ago, AFAIK


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## dave28 (26 Jan 2011)

ESB have installed new digital meters on a field triall basis in a number of homes. These meters do not need a person to take a meter reading - presumably it has a built-in sim-card which is used for readings


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## rustbucket (26 Jan 2011)

Welfarite said:


> I don't know what your suggesting regarding 'better meter system' that 'bills you directly'? Are you suggesting computerised linking to centre? That would cost a fortune to install, i'd imagine. The idea of estimating is so that they save money on sending out people to read the meters. In fact, it was introduced as a cost-cutting measure a number of years ago, AFAIK


 
Digital Meters? or Meters that send info over GPS, Wireless, Broadband?

Not that expensive surely


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## PATVAN (26 Jan 2011)

Thanks niceoneted for your comment! I am sure meters are approved when installed, there must be a regulating body but I think I will be getting a monitoring system just to compare.

Also my usage for the months prior to my holiday was none out of the ordinary.... I am taking the fact into account that they estimated a higher amount in the months Sep - Oct compared to the rest of the year.... still makes the minuscule difference in units for a whole month with nearly no usage just seem WRONG!!! 

I mean think about it! an energy efficient fridge freezer and the boiler for 2 hours a day.... that means that the washer, cooker, dryer, shower, appliances and lights for a whole month must account for 100 odd units....

Unless I am missing something this seems ridiculas


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## niceoneted (26 Jan 2011)

Do you know for sure that the estimated bill for Sept - Oct was under or over. If under it all makes sense.


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## DGOBS (26 Jan 2011)

as far as I know, the new meters require the 'meter guy' to drive down the road to read the meters


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## huskerdu (27 Jan 2011)

Do you have your bill for last Nov/Dec ? 
you say that your bills average 800/845 over the year, but what are your average bills in Winter ?

My bills in Winter are frequently double those in Summer. 

If 933 for Sept/Oct was correct, then you used 466 a month.

The 638 bill for Nov/Dec could have been 500 for Nov, and 138 for Dec. 
Fridge/freezers, even energy efficient ones, use quite a lot as they run 24/7
unlike other appliances.


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## dave28 (28 Jan 2011)

DGOBS said:


> as far as I know, the new meters require the 'meter guy' to drive down the road to read the meters



No, the new meters are remotely accessed by ESB


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