To Activate Or Not Activate The Smart Meter ??

[Pinoy adventure]

Just trying to get true to SSE to activate our smart meter has put me off signing up to a smart meter plan.
I can no longer submit my meter reading on the app so now have too ring them in

 

[Marsupial]

Just trying to get true to SSE to activate our smart meter has put me off signing up to a smart meter plan.
I can no longer submit my meter reading on the app so now have too ring them in

Even with a smart meter you can still input your meter readings on the ESB Networks website which, I understand, is the central site for all meter readings, irrespective of which supplier you may be with. (I'm with another supplier and have a Smart meter, but I input my latest meter readings two weeks ago and those input readings were used to calculate my latest bill)

LINK:

Submit a Meter Reading

 

[Marsupial]

It’s almost impossible to compare now with all the different pricing structures, rates for different times, smart/non smart, free days, peak non peak blah blah blah.

I agree.

But having recently got both a Smart meter and PV solar panels installed, I'm looking forward to the challenge of updating my trusty old spreadsheet to reflect the new complexity! My current electricity contract ends in early Feb 2024, so I'll be doing it in January.

If it works, and if the Mods agree I'll upload it here for others to play with!

 

[Cervelo]

Okay due to a Black Friday offer from Bord Gais I'm able to let you know how I got on with activating the Smart meter
As I changed contracts early the figures I'm using are for 11 months but I will take them as my yearly usage for ease of calculation
I'll also include my gas usage as well

So for the year I used 16049 KWh of Gas and a total of 4372kWh of electricity

This had I stayed on the STD meter and availed of BG's 10% would have cost me including the annual standing charge
and is based on 10% discount unit rates of €0.1315 for gas and the ASC of €169.40 and €0.4337 for electricity plus the ASC €281.12
so that worked out at €2279.84 for gas and €2177.25 for electricity giving a total for the year of €4457.09 less the €550 in energy grants

The smart meter rates were after a 15% discount Day €0.4329, Night €0.3182 and Peak €0.5290 but I also availed of an offer of free electricity on Sunday between 9AM and 5PM. The gas rate was also a 15% discount so this ended up at €0.1242

My electricity usage for the year broken down was Day1960kWh=€848.48, Night 1199kWh=€381.52, Peak 333kWh=€176.15 and the free Sunday we used 880kWh at no billing cost giving a total for the year of including the €281.12 ASC of €1687.27 and then less the €550 in energy grants
Gas came in for the year on this plan including the ASC at €2162.68

Bottom line for the year if I'd stayed on the standard meter it would have cost me €3907.09 net for both gas and electricity for the year
and the smart meter plan including gas came in at €3299.95 net

So in total there was €607.14 saved by moving to the smart plan with free Sunday electricity but even if I hadn't availed of the free electricity and used those 880 units at peak rate I still would have saved €141.62 compared to standard BG pricing

So to answer my question, No switching on the smart meter did not result in higher energy bills

Going forward I've decided to move to the EV plan with BG and will report on that in a years time

 

[Sue Ellen]

@Cervelo

Well done on the maths Interesting to see that the Smart meter worked out better.

Just wondering if you have punched the figures on that energypal.ie website? You can play around with creating a calculation of your own and use the different discount rates that have applied.

 

[jpd]

I don't think the Smart meter can take the plaudits here, it's more the Smart meter pricing plan

Also, if you have a Smart meter, there is no need to submit readings. They meter submits readings automatically

 

[Leo]

I don't think the Smart meter can take the plaudits here, it's more the Smart meter pricing plan

Which isn't possible without the smart meter

 

[Cervelo]

I don't think the Smart meter can take the plaudits here, it's more the Smart meter pricing plan

Obvs, but from the threads here a lot of people think that the rates for the smart meter will result in higher bills
Hopefully this thread will disproved this myth or at the very least it has for me

Well done on the maths Interesting to see that the Smart meter worked out better.

Thanks Sue

Just wondering if you have punched the figures on that energypal.ie website? You can play around with creating a calculation of your own and use the different discount rates that have applied.

Yes I did and I have to say it's a great little tool for helping with choosing which plan might be the best one to go for

When I added my usage to "Energypal" on the Black Friday weekend it had been updated to include BG's Black Friday deal of 25% off
And it indicated that the plan I was on was the cheapest one for us coming in at around €1400 for the free Sunday plan
But we've been thinking for a few months that the free electricity plan are a bit of a pain in the backside as it ties up up doing household chores on the free day, so we decided to go for the EV plan even though it's more expensive at €1690 for two reasons

The EV although more expensive according to Energypal it doesn't allow you to adjust you usage going forward like moving the majority of my free usage to the EV rate, so even though the EV plan looks nearly €300 dearer but this time next year when we change our usage it should be much closer
And two if your with BG for three continuous years there is apparently and extra discount you are entitled to which I presume is going to be about 5%

 

[Sue Ellen]

'And two if you're with BG for three continuous years there is apparently and extra discount you are entitled to which I presume is going to be about 5%'

Never heard that before. Where did ya see/hear that?

 

[Cervelo]

Never heard that before. Where did ya see/hear that?

It's on their "Our tariffs & prices" page of their website and its called "Yor loyalty Tariff"
It doesn't specifically mention what the discount is going to be but I would presume (probably naively) that it has to be better than normal discounts on offer

Loyalty Plan Tariffs | Bord Gáis Energy

Learn about loyalty plan tariffs with Bord Gáis Energy. Find information on eligibility, how to apply and the terms and conditions.

www.bordgaisenergy.ie

Now that I read it today I'm a little concerned as I can see it mentioned in the pricing structures of STD electricity and gas plans
But seems to be omitted from the Smart plan options

 

[lff12]

Two choices with BG, free Saturday or Sunday elecy {up to 25kw per week AFAIK or 100 kw per month, they don’t call that out in marketing blubber} Smart metering. Been on the Smart plus night boost for 4 bills or 8 months and will never go back to level pay.

Bills are controllable, manageable and less than the level pay

That's not bad to be honest, I only use 200kw per month.

 

[clinteastwood]

200kWh Energy I presume, not 200kW of instantaneous power

 

[extopia]

Apologies if this has been dealt with above, but how DOES one 'activate' the meter exactly? I ask because when I signed up for current plan about 13 months ago I had a day/night meter. ESB Networks switched the meter out for a smart meter but with the understanding that it would still be 'configured' for day/night. My current supplier (YUNO) tells me I am eligible for both day/night and smart plans. But when I tried to switch to SSE I was told the MPRN flags as eligible for smart plans only. I asked ESB Networks and they told me that 'activation' has nothing to do with them. Any idea what's going on?

 

[Leo]

Apologies if this has been dealt with above, but how DOES one 'activate' the meter exactly? I ask because when I signed up for current plan about 13 months ago I had a day/night meter.

The initial activation is carried out by the installer, so it starts communicating with ESB Networks. Anything after that is a configuration change.

Later, you can switch to a 'smart' plan, at which point your meter configuration will change from MCC01 (or MCC02 for day/night meters) to MCC12 or MCC16. Once you switch to a smart plan, you are restricted to choosing other smart plan, though flat 24 hour rates are now available.

But when I tried to switch to SSE I was told the MPRN flags as eligible for smart plans only.

What MCC code is displayed on your current bill?

 

[extopia]

The initial activation is carried out by the installer, so it starts communicating with ESB Networks. Anything after that is a configuration change.

Later, you can switch to a 'smart' plan, at which point your meter configuration will change from MCC01 (or MCC02 for day/night meters) to MCC12 or MCC16. Once you switch to a smart plan, you are restricted to choosing other smart plan, though flat 24 hour rates are now available.


What MCC code is displayed on your current bill?

That's all very useful info. The MCC code on bill is MCC12. It was originally MCC02 alright but I see from looking back at the bills that it changed to MCC12 in January of this year (after smart meter was installed). However I did not have a 'smart' plan, just the the same day/night plan in place before the meter swap. Is there a way to have the configuration reverted?

 

[ClubMan]

That's all very useful info. The MCC code on bill is MCC12. It was originally MCC02 alright but I see from looking back at the bills that it changed to MCC12 in January of this year (after smart meter was installed). However I did not have a 'smart' plan, just the the same day/night plan in place before the meter swap. Is there a way to have the configuration reverted?

As far as I know you can't go back to MCC01/MCC02 from MCC12/MCC16. I don't know if this is CRU or ESB Networks policy or what but I don't think that such a reversion is possible.

I have a smart meter that was installed earlier this year and I didn't "activate" it so am still on MCC02 day/night Nightsaver mode because it still seems to be the most economical for my usage patterns (night storage heaters and immersion heating, no solar etc., no electric vehicle, c. 5,000 kWh units p.a. with c. 60% at night).

 

[extopia]

I

As far as I know you can't go back to MCC01/MCC02 from MCC12/MCC16. I don't know if this is CRU or ESB Networks policy or what but I don't think that such a reversion is possible.

I have a smart meter that was installed earlier this year and I didn't "activate" it so am still on MCC02 day/night Nightsaver mode because it still seems to be the most economical for my usage patterns (night storage heaters and immersion heating, no solar etc., no electric vehicle, c. 5,000 kWh units p.a. with c. 60% at night).

I am just wondering why my meter was reconfigured to MCC12 then as I don't have a smart plan. I guess I will get back to ESB Networks about it. Is it possible it happened when I signed up for the ESB Networks account to be able to access the daily data I wonder? Or else something the supplier reported (maybe to do with signing up to use their app?)

 

[ClubMan]

I am just wondering why my meter was reconfigured to MCC12 then as I don't have a smart plan. I guess I will get back to ESB Networks about it.

You must have (possibly inadvertently?) chosen to "activate" it after installation. You don't have to be on a smart plan even if you're on MCC12/MCC16.

 

[Leo]

Yeah, the current crop of smart plans include flat rate 24 hour options since the regulator increased the number of plans each provider was allowed to offer.

 

[extopia]

You must have (possibly inadvertently?) chosen to "activate" it after installation. You don't have to be on a smart plan even if you're on MCC12/MCC16.

I got on to ESB Networks and they told me that the supplier (YUNO) had changed (reconfigured?) the meter to MCC12, and this happened about two months into my day/night plan with them (at which point a smart meter had been installed but I had not changed to a smart plan).

So I asked the supplier to revert me back to MCC02 as I had not authorised any switch. They told me they can't do that and it was in terms and conditions etc etc. They only accept smart meter customers, apparently, although I did not have a smart meter when I signed up! Either way (they tell me) ESB Networks will not revert the designation to MCC02,

So supplier and ESB Networks are effectively blaming each other. I don't think I have the bandwidth to fight this - I know a back and forth when I see one.