Time to move to a SMART plan?

Well I'll start so!

When all the charges escalated a few years ago, the suppliers used the confusion to seriously jack up the standing charges.

There was no justification for this and yet the Gov/Regulator made no attempt to intervene.

This of course had a disproportional effect on low usage households at a time when we're all being urged to be environmentally friendly.

As an old friend used to say ' Twould be funny if...........................................
 
elcato said:
What I don't like about the smart and TOU (time of use) plans is that unlike my day/night plan, their prices aren't well strung out between each of them. Day/Night is usually a simple night rate is half the price of the day rate. Of course the 'Day' rate in the Nightsavers is usually 33% more than the 'Day' rate of 24hours so there's not often any advantage. Don't start me on the Standing Charge :mad:. I predict it will end up like the UK where you'll need an expert to explain the various tariffs.
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There are also smart day/night tarrifs, such as I am on. The night "window" is only 4 hours, no peak rate and it's still using smart meter rather than previous day/night meter.
 
I had a look using energypal.ie and you are right, for the first time recently it does seem that a smart plan is cheaper in a few cases. It helps to know what your time of day usage patterns are like. I've had a night meter for a very long time so I am well accustomed to putting washing/driers on just before going to bed, for example.
 
lff12 said:
am well accustomed to putting washing/driers on just before going to bed, for example.
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Off topic but...

Is it dangerous to do a wash overnight?

We are all being encouraged to get a smart meter and avail of Time Of Use / Night Tariffs etc. This is encouraging people to use their washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher between 11pm and 8am when rates are cheapest and most will be asleep in their beds. Google will throw up endless...
www.askaboutmoney.com
 
Roro999 said:
And why would one want to switch back ?
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Because, up to quite recently, a Smart Plan wasn't always the better option.

It appears that (probably due in part to the poor uptake of Smart Plans), the CER has realised that they needed to be re-jigged, and has advised suppliers to start that process.
 
charlie007 said:
Be aware that once you move to a smart plan, you will not be allowed to move back.
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It may have been covered already/elsewhere but is that a CRU/regulatory restriction or simply something that service providers don't allow? I thought that I read somewhere (here?) that it was the latter.
 
ClubMan said:
It may have been covered already/elsewhere but is that a CRU/regulatory restriction or simply something that service providers don't allow? I thought that I read somewhere (here?) that it was the latter.
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I don't know the answer but am assuming its Gov. led to encourage us all to use smart plans.

It has led to a lot of confusion with some thinking that once you agree to taking a smart meter, you are stuck on smart plans.

Though now this doesn't appear to be a bad thing.

I just checked Airtricity T&Cs and noticed this:

23.4 Please be aware that a change in your meter type, as a result of a Networks driven change or any other reason that is beyond SSE Airtricity’s control, could result in changes to your tariffs and services

As someone has already mentioned, you'd need a degree in something or other to keep up?!
 
Just found this which maybe helps to clarify the matter?

Smart meters and services | CRU.ie

By the end of 2024, every home and business in Ireland will have a smart meter. You will have instant access to information about your electricity use and be able use smart services.
www.cru.ie www.cru.ie
If my smart meter is installed, am I put onto a smart tariff?

When a smart meter is installed, it remains on the existing “meter configuration code” (MCC). For example, a customer who is on a flat rate/24-hour tariff (MCC01) before the smart meter is installed wishes to move to a Time of Use tariff, the meter needs to switch to a different MCC – either a half-hourly Time of Use Tariff (MCC12) or a Standard Smart Tariff (MCC16), in order to send the necessary consumption information for billing purposes.

Suppliers have said that once a customer goes on a smart tariff, they cannot return to a standard tariff, either within the contract term or afterwards?

Once the “meter configuration code” (MCC) is changed to either Time of Use Tariff (MCC12) or a Standard Smart Tariff (MCC16), it cannot reverted back to the original flat rate/24-hour tariff (MCC01).
However, this does not prevent the customer from moving back to a flat-rate tariff or stop energy suppliers from offering customers on Time of Use Tariff or a Standard Smart Tariff a flat rate tariff. A number of suppliers in the market offer the same flat rate tariff to customers, whether they are on a flat rate/24-hour tariff, Time of Use Tariff or a Standard Smart Tariff.
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So, I guess that "smart meter/services activation" means EirGrid switching the meter from MCC01 to MCC12 or MCC16? I found the explanations about smart meter installation, configuration/activation and tariff issues very confusing when, as an erstwhile and continuing nightsaver day/night tariff user, mine was being installed.
 
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That clarifies it for me to a degree!

This line:
A number of suppliers in the market offer the same flat rate tariff to customers, whether they are on a flat rate/24-hour tariff, Time of Use Tariff or a Standard Smart Tariff.

Surely suggests that also a number do not?

My PPR doesn't have a smart meter yet and my contract is up soon.
It should be easy enough, therefore, to pick a new Supplier/Plan.

It seems that the vast majority of customers are not even on a contract and are paying exorbitant bills.
As a start they SHOULD be signing up to some contract.
 
All customers are on some kind of a contract

It may be that they are out of contract, but that just means that they cannot be penalised by moving to a different supplier/contract
 
'All customers are on some kind of a contract'

I assume you are talking about a deemed contract which is the default position where no contract has been agreed.
The rates here are much higher as I've said.
Staying on these charges, just to avoid a possible €50 penalty seems ridiculous to me.
 
S class said:
The set up in my house uses a separate large time switch to switch the dual tariff meter between day and night. It was installed about 30 years ago. Mabye the timing mechanism is built in to more modern day and night meters.
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As someone has mentioned, there are configurations that the installer will set the smart meter to that replicates the nightsaver, standard or smart meter
ClubMan said:
Off topic but...

Is it dangerous to do a wash overnight?

We are all being encouraged to get a smart meter and avail of Time Of Use / Night Tariffs etc. This is encouraging people to use their washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher between 11pm and 8am when rates are cheapest and most will be asleep in their beds. Google will throw up endless...
www.askaboutmoney.com
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Don't mind that. Most modern washing machines now run economy cycles that do not heat water so much (mine can run on no heating at all, but takes 3 or more hours, or a shorter but still efficient 20C cycle) so this is very unlikely. Likewise my dryer is a heatpump drier so runs at a lower temperature overall than a normal condenser drier. The odds of these going on fire is unlikely.
If you have a 20 year old model it might be a different matter.
 
Not heating the water would not reduce the fire risk to any noticeable extent. Loose connectors and over heating motors are probably the most likely ignition source. Immersion heaters are regularly run at night to make use of off peak tariffs. Do these cause many house fires ?

A few cheap interconnectable smoke alarms are the best solution for any house running appliances at night.

A smoke alarm in any room with an appliance and one in each bedroom.
 
S class said:
Loose connectors and over heating motors are probably the most likely ignition source.
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The construction standards required of most modern washing machines means there is little or no combustible material in the vicinity of these.

S class said:
Immersion heaters are regularly run at night to make use of off peak tariffs. Do these cause many house fires ?
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There was a French brand that was recalled here due to an over-heating risk, but I've never heard of a fire being caused by one. There would only be risk associated with the connection point in the event of poor fitting or damage.
 

Fire safety in the kitchen

www.gov.ie www.gov.ie

Electrical Appliances​

  • ...
  • avoid leaving them operating overnight. If you intend to leave them operating overnight then they should be in rooms separated from the main escape route by a closed door
  • ...
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https://x.com/DubFireBrigade/status/1471578409436426249
 
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