Bord Gais enters the domestic electricity market

Niallers said:
Just switched.
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Just switched too, It took about 2 minutes to fill out switch form, didn't have any errors or issues, and printed off the confirmation at end.

Like mentioned by another poster I did not click the waiver box, just in case I need to change my mind in 7 days.

Got the 14% reduction rate.

I heard some woman on Liveline today say dont switch, so your loyalty to the ESB, and another say it looked too good to be true.

But if I only save €10 a year its €10 in my wallet.
 
I assume that Airtricity will give the 10% reduction year on year. I don't remember any reduction after year one. Am I missing something? Anyway, the die is cast :)
 
By the way folks, if you are switching to Bord Gais make sure you pay your bills by the due date. Otherwise you will incur interest charges on the debt. See their Terms and Conditions and in particular:

(f) If you do not pay us any sum due under the Contract you will be liable to pay us interest from the due date for payment at a daily rate equal to 2% above the Bank of Ireland AAA Overdraft Rate then in force or, if there is no such rate, then an equivalent rate, accruing on a daily basis until payment is made.

The ESB levies no such charge.


Always read the small print!
 
Switched to Airtricity last week online, had to sign up for direct debt + level payment to get the full 10%. Greener option was the winner for me!

It'll be interesting to know the uptake with Airtricity and Bord Gas...ESB will be losing alot of customers.
Airtricity seems to have launched quitely, while Bord Gas has launched with all the fan-fair!!
 
Now, if only someone could enter the market to compete with my ridiculously high Bord Gáis heating bill...
 
It seems the best option is to switch to Bord Gais for year 1 and get a 14% discount, if you're an existing gas customer, then in year two move to Airtricity for 10% as against 5% at Bord Gais.

My worry is whether the regulator has sorted a procedure for moving from Bord Gais to Airtricity or will you first of all have to move back to ESB then to Airtricity.

As the telecom and banking sectors have proven, we don't have the brightest, most effective regulators in this country.
 
askalot said:
....My worry is whether the regulator has sorted a procedure for moving from Bord Gais to Airtricity or will you first of all have to move back to ESB then to Airtricity...
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Have no worries. It will be perfectly permissable to move from Bord Gais to Airtricity without having to go back to ESB. Hell, you can even run up a debt with Bord Gais and move just when they are about to disconnect you and the debt can't folllow you to your new supplier. Them's the market rules!

Regards,

Fnergg
 
Fnergg said:
Have no worries. It will be perfectly permissable to move from Bord Gais to Airtricity without having to go back to ESB. Hell, you can even run up a debt with Bord Gais and move just when they are about to disconnect you and the debt can't folllow you to your new supplier. Them's the market rules!

Regards,

Fnergg
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Thanks for the reply.

By the way; what exactly do you do in the ESB? I need a new socket put in :)
 
askalot said:
Thanks for the reply.

By the way; what exactly do you do in the ESB? I need a new socket put in :)
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You are assuming a lot in assuming that I work for the ESB. I am merely a disinterested observer of the Irish electricity market with informal connections in the ESB and other market participants. I wouldn't be able to put in a socket to save my life. I am just about able to put in a lightbulb.

Regards,

Fnergg
 
i switched today. As a gas customer will get 12% discount if there are problems i can always change back.Any discount on ESB is welcome, as a monopoly they have been ripping us off for years
 
dinjoecurry said:
...Any discount on ESB is welcome, as a monopoly they have been ripping us off for years
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The interesting thing is that when ESB was a total monopoly (prior to 2001) Irish electricity prices were the cheapest in Europe. Then regulation came along and competition occurred in the industrial/commercial sector. The market was fully open to all comers in 2005 but nobody was interested in the domestic sector as the profit margin was too low. So, over the years the Regulator has been factoring in percentage increases in every price change in order to attract competitors to the domestic market. Finally, it has happened and Bord Gais and Airtricity have started taking domestic customers. ESB is not allowed by the Regulator to lower its prices in order to compete. There isn't a level playing field. ESB customers are being charged more than they really need to pay so that the Regulator can say that he has delivered competition. So, don't blame ESB for "ripping us off" - blame the Regulator. And when the Regulator and the politicians start crowing about the dawn of domestic electricity competition please recognise it for what it is: another Great Big Lie perpetrated on the Irish public.

If that is real competition, I'm a banana.

Regards,

Fnergg
 
Fnergg said:
By the way folks, if you are switching to Bord Gais make sure you pay your bills by the due date. Otherwise you will incur interest charges on the debt. See their Terms and Conditions and in particular:

(f) If you do not pay us any sum due under the Contract you will be liable to pay us interest from the due date for payment at a daily rate equal to 2% above the Bank of Ireland AAA Overdraft Rate then in force or, if there is no such rate, then an equivalent rate, accruing on a daily basis until payment is made.

The ESB levies no such charge.


Always read the small print!
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well if you are paying by direct debit there is no trouble there!
 
FNERGG you would not by any chance be connected with the ESB in any WAY? Why not take the discount? The ESB has always imo been overmanned/overpaid/and full of crazy work practices and we pay for it all wake up!
 
Fnergg said:
The interesting thing is that when ESB was a total monopoly (prior to 2001) Irish electricity prices were the cheapest in Europe.

If that is real competition, I'm a banana.

Regards,

Fnergg
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Hi Banana. So who do you blame? Essentially, if new players are introduced that produces competition. If something is not "real competition" then it is "unreal competition". Can you explain the latter please.
PS. Sorry about the intro. I know you are not a real banana.
 
Could anyone explain the following:

1. There is only one producer of electricity in the country- ESB Networks (I am leaving out the minimal amount sold into the national grid), who then sell it on to ESB or Bord Gais.

2. ESB charge us €1 for one unit of this electricity. (trying to keep this as simple as possible)

3. Bord Gais say they will charge us 90 cent for the same unit.

4. I assume Bord Gais will make a profit so they must be buying it from ESB Networks at say 80 cent.

5. ESB up till now have bought 100% of the electricity from Networks so I would presume they get it even cheaper. Say 70cent.

6. ESB are therefore making a profit of 30% on their selling price which is set by the regulator.

a) Is this not scandalous that the regulator would facilitate these profits for the ESB?
b) Will the regulator not be tasked with setting the price that Bord Gais charges for the electricity and, if so, how can BG give a guarantee of always being lower than the ESB?

Hope this is not too rambling but it's things like this that keep me awake at night :)
 
callybags said:
6. ESB are therefore making a profit of 30% on their selling price which is set by the regulator.

a) Is this not scandalous that the regulator would facilitate these profits for the ESB?
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It is but that is just another hangover of the voodoo economics that the PD/FF party visted upon us in the past ten years. This was their way of encouraging competition, so in reality the savings made that those of us who move supplier will only help offset the artificially increased prices that were part of government policy. It should only take 15 years of lower prices to make back the difference!

callybags said:
b) Will the regulator not be tasked with setting the price that Bord Gais charges for the electricity and, if so, how can BG give a guarantee of always being lower than the ESB?
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The regulator has nothing to do with the price charged by Bord Gais or Airtricity.
 
Have to laugh at the following from the Big Switch site terms and conditions

"In accessing the Site, the User accepts that information messages and electronic mail passing over the Internet may not be free from interference by third parties. Consequently, Bord Gáis cannot guarantee the privacy or confidentiality of any information relating to the User passing over the Internet"

Doesn't really make me feel too good about giving them my bank details - I would have thought they have to provide adequate security on their site?
 
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