• Electric Ireland launches four new lifestyle orientated electricity plans for customers with Smart Meters installed
• ‘Home Electric+’ electricity plans provide insights to help customers better understand their energy usage, use less electricity and make noticeable savings
• ‘Home Electric+ Night Boost’ allows customers charge their Electric Vehicles for as little as 5c per kwh
• ‘Home Electric+ Weekender’ offers Saturday or Sunday electricity for free
From today, Friday February 26th, 2021, Electric Ireland customers who have had a Smart Meter installed as part of The National Smart Metering Programme will experience the benefits of Smart Meter technology for the first time when they choose one of Electric Ireland’s customer focused ‘Home Electric+’ plans.
The National Smart Metering Programme will ultimately see ESB Networks replace 2.4 million electricity meters with next generation Smart Meters. As part of the programme, all households in Ireland will receive a Smart Meter and once installed, they will be able to experience the benefits of the new technology. Approximately 250,000 of all households in Ireland have had a Smart Meter installed over the last 18 months.
Electric Ireland is today launching a range of unique plans for their customers who have had a Smart Meter installed. Customers who avail of these plans can, over time, better understand their energy usage, lower their overall consumption (particularly at peak times) and in turn reduce the costs of their electricity bills and carbon footprint. Electric Ireland’s free ‘Home Electric+’ plans all have the following benefits.
o Personalised insights on electricity usage via an online account portal (insights build incrementally over time).
o Monthly emails that communicate which appliances are using the most electricity (available after 4 months data).
o A monthly billing option and bill prediction alerts (billing is currently bi-monthly).
o Regular reviews to ensure that they are on the right plan.
o Eliminates need for manual reads and estimated bills.
Electric Ireland’s ‘Home Electric+’ plans will enable customers to save money by availing of cheaper electricity at different times of the day – options include:
• ‘Home Electric+ Night Boost’ offers a cheaper electricity rate at night (11p.m.-8a.m.) and a super cheap “boost” period from 2-4 a.m. when customers can charge their Electric Vehicles for just over 5c per kwh.
• ‘Home Electric+ Weekender’ offers Saturday or Sunday electricity for free.
• ‘Home Electric+ SST (Standard Smart Tariff)’ offers Day/Night/Peak rates giving increased flexibility and control over their home usage.
Marguerite Sayers, Executive Director, Electric Ireland, said:
“As Ireland’s leading energy provider, Electric Ireland is committed to providing our customers with transparency so that they can better understand what is driving their electricity usage. The introduction of our new Smart Meter offerings is a landmark day for us and our customers. Less consumption of energy at peak times means reduced carbon emissions, as well as reduced bills for households and businesses. Customers can use the insights we provide to discover how and when they use electricity so that they can change their usage patterns to make savings.”
She added:
“At Electric Ireland we also see Smart Meters at the forefront of enabling our customers to make positive changes in addressing climate action. We are delighted to bring this service to our customers at a time when reducing household costs is of upmost importance. From today, Electric Ireland customers can start availing of the benefits of our Smart Metering services and we are here to support them on that journey. Not only will Smart Meter customers see the end of estimated bills, but they can also now choose a new, innovative and free plan to suit their individual needs, while continuing to enjoy their enduring discount rate of up to 8.5% on gas and electricity.”
The new Smart Meter plans are inspired by research results from the Electric Ireland Brighter Energy Research Tracker*, which highlighted a recent significant increase in customers’ desire to make positive energy usage changes, and an expectation that their energy company should play a key role in supporting them on the move towards a low carbon future. Smart Meters are well placed to help deliver on this customer ambition:
82% of consumers want to reduce the amount of energy they use and 87% indicated they would look to their energy provider to offer real-time, digestible information on their energy usage and efficiency. And for Electric Ireland customers, this will be delivered through personalised insights available via the suite of free ‘Home Electric+’ plans.
Smart Meter plans are available from today to Electric Ireland residential customers that have had a smart meter installed in their home. Smart meters have been installed in parts of the following locations: Dublin (North, South, Central), Sligo, Limerick, Cork City, Bandon, Portlaoise, Navan and Drogheda. These customers would have received a communication from ESB Networks when the Smart Meter was installed.
Smart Meter services are the latest solution to be introduced as part of Electric Ireland’s Brighter Together Energy Programme. Launched in 2020, the programme is designed to support homes, businesses and communities to maximise energy efficiency and collectively contribute towards a low carbon future. The National Smart Metering Programme will eventually see up to 1.3 million Electric Ireland customers avail of Smart Meter technology and services by 2024. Electric Ireland will support its customers on their Smart Meter journey with educational content on its ‘We’re Brighter Together Hub’. There will also be on-going direct communications with customers as their Smart Meters are installed, ensuring they are aware of the best-in-class benefits of the programme for their homes and businesses.
To be part of the change and to find out more visit: electricireland.ie/smart-meters
#brightertogether
ENDS.
*Research conducted by Behaviour & Attitudes; field work conducted August 2020 with a nationally representative group of 1,007 adults aged 16+.