To Activate Or Not Activate The Smart Meter ??

[ClubMan]

There is stuff in the Yuno terms and conditions about accepting that a smart meter will be installed and possibly that it is "activated" (haven't checked in detail) but it sounds like you may have inadvertently agreed to the "activation" (from MCC02 to MCC12) even if you understood that it would remain on MCC02?

I still maintain that the CRU, ESB Networks, individual providers and the media have made a complete hames of explaining the details of smart meters to consumers giving rise to confusion like this. As I mentioned elsewhere "activation" seems to mean different things in different contexts (and may have three different potential meanings).

 

[Cervelo]

Just wondering what people opinion on fixing the Gas and Electricity prices for the coming year
Airtricity are offering a discount of 20% off the variable standard rate or a fixed price for the 12 months

	Standard rate less 20%	Fixed Rate
Day	27.83	24.57
Night	18.04	15.94
Peak	35.15	31.04
Gas	8.24	8.28

My thinking is that the fixed price might be worth a gamble as rates would have to be cut by more than 10% in the next year for me to be losing out but then I'd also have to factor in how long I'm into the 12 month contract before rates drop if indeed they drop at all

 

[ClubMan]

Other things to consider

1. You may get a better deal by taking electricity and gas from different providers.
2. Breaking out of a 12 month contract early costs €50 per supply and can sometimes be worth doing in order to switch again.
3. Are you sure that the smart time of day tariff above best matches your actual usage profile? Use EnergyPal to check this if possible.

 

[Cervelo]

Thanks for that Mr Clubman but not really what I was looking for
1. I'm moving to Airtricity so other suppliers are not relevant to this particular question
2. The break out fee for the variable rate is €50 but for the fixed is actually €100, not a huge difference in the greater scheme
3. I've already done a year of free electricity on Sundays and am coming off BG's EV package so now we're just reverting to a standard smart plan
4. EnergyPal is of no help here with this question!!

 

[ClubMan]

Well, your question is effectively "what is going to happen with gas and electricity prices over the next year?" and nobody can answer that.

 

[Cervelo]

Which is why I asked for an opinion

 

[Malteaser]

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.

I have just discovered I have the exact same problem. Previously, day/night meters and storage heating, switched to Yuno, they upgraded me to a smart meter. I have now discovered this was 'activated' without my knowledge and I can now only switch to smart plans which are more expensive. I rang Yuno and was told all this is in the terms and conditons. I have read their terms and conditions and it states "If we are taking over from another Supplier as the Supplier of Energy to the Premises, you hereby authorise us to:
(a) contact your existing electricity Supplier/ESBN for the purposes of coordinating the removal of any legacy Meter and the installation of a ESBN Smart Meter;"
No mention of 'activating' the smart meter from MCC02 to MCC12. Does anyone know if I complain to the CRU/YUNO/ESBN can this be reversed or is it true that once activated this can't be reversed (personally think this is a con we are just being told to stop us all switching back). Also any advice on if i'm wasting my time complaining as we are all shortly to be moved to smart meters and smart plans anyways??
Thanks for any advice, I'm so very annoyed about this.

 

[Sue Ellen]

No mention of 'activating' the smart meter from MCC02 to MCC12. Does anyone know if I complain to the CRU/YUNO/ESBN can this be reversed or is it true that once activated this can't be reversed (personally think this is a con we are just being told to stop us all switching back).

Have a read of this item which was covered some time back on RTE Prime Time as it may throw some light on the whole mess that is Smart meters. Personally I prefer to have the Smart meter as I find access to the information helpful when choosing supplier and www.energypal.ie is a great resource.

This is the relevant section that might give you some advice:

The main electricity suppliers told Prime Time that customers could never revert back from smart tariffs due to "market" or "industry design", however the CRU said the configuration of meters "does not prevent the customer from moving back to a flat-rate tariff or stop energy suppliers from offering customers on (smart meters) a flat rate tariff."

ESB Networks added while tariffs are a matter for each electricity supplier, "there is no requirement to change the meter configuration if a customer decides to move back to a flat tariff from a smart tariff, the supplier is not restricted in how it prices each period."