How to beat Ireland’s rising energy bill TOMORROW – from meter readings to subsidies

ENERGY bills will skyrocket for thousands of Irish households, here’s everything you need to know before the hikes.

Irish energy bills are set to see huge rises from October 1 as many companies apply price hikes to their gas and electricity customers.

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Electric Ireland, PrepayPower, Community Power and SSE Airtricity have all planned increases which will take effect on October 1.

State-owned Electric Ireland, which serves 1.2 million Irish homes across the country, has announced plans to raise residential electricity bills by 26.7% and gas bills by 37.5% .

The latest increases will amount to €37.20 per month on the average residential electricity bill and €42.99 per month on the average residential gas bill.

Thousands more hard-hit families will be hit with further energy boosts later this month from Energia and Bord Gais Energy.

Amid a spiraling cost of living crisis in Ireland, any steps that can be taken to avoid additional costs at home are welcome.

Here’s everything you need to know and do before the bill goes up.

Take a meter reading

Households are reminded to check their energy meter readings before prices rise to avoid being hit with shocking extra charges.

If you’re on a traditional meter and don’t send regular readings to your provider, you risk being overcharged.

Utilities attempt to read electricity and gas meters every few months, but use an estimate for billing if a reading is not accessible.

Once the meter is read back, the customer will have to pay extra if any usage has been understated, which means they will have to pay at the most recent price.

You might end up being charged more as a result, so taking meter readings will ensure you’re charged correctly for your usage so far before the price rises.

Take a photo of your meter reading and send it to your provider as proof.

Apply for grants

Your energy supplier can manage a contingency fund to help you deal with the impact of price increases.

For example, Electric Ireland continues to put in place a series of measures to support customers, including payment plans and a €3 million relief fund.

In fact, the Utilities Regulatory Commission (CRU) requires providers to have trained staff to assist customers for this specific purpose.

All Irish energy suppliers must also adhere to the voluntary Energy Engage code, which is a commitment to ensure that they will take a number of steps to ensure customers at risk of disconnection remain connected to their supply.

So if you’re at risk of disconnecting, or if you feel your debt is becoming an issue, the most important thing to do is to engage with your provider as soon as possible.

Saint Vincent De Paul also works closely with all energy suppliers, as well as the financial advice and budgeting service, to help struggling families pay their day-to-day energy bills, so contact them. to see how they can help you.

Turn off power-hungry devices

Households may not be aware that some appliances cost a small fortune to operate.

According to Bonkers.ie, a good rule of thumb is: if it makes things hot, especially in a short period of time, it’s going to be expensive.

Think kettles, hair dryers, clothes dryers and electric showers – they all have a fierce appetite for electricity.

Older devices are often much less efficient than newer models, which means an upgrade could save you a lot of money in the long run.

Keep an eye on your device’s efficiency model, which ranges from A to G, with A being the most efficient.

The most power-hungry applications include:

• Immersion – €2.58 to heat a 120 liter tank.
• Dryer – €1.29 for one hour of drying.
• Electric oven – €1.08 for one hour of cooking.

Computers, game consoles, and security lights are known as “vampire devices” because they consume a lot of power, even when on standby.

Leaving these devices on could also cost you hundreds of dollars every year.

The best thing to do is to shut down these devices properly by turning them off at the outlet when you’re not using them.

You should also use the power saving mode settings – this will help you reduce your bills.

Ask about €600 energy bill credits

Every Irish household will receive three energy credits worth €200 over a period of five months.

One will be distributed before Christmas while the other two installments will be distributed next year, Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath has confirmed.

Three installments totaling €600 will be made in November, January and March.

Luckily, payment is set up to be automatic, so you won’t have to request it.

Insulate your home

Draft protection is one of the most effective ways to save energy and money.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland estimates that the average home loses 20-30% of its heat through the walls and up to 30% through the attic, meaning good insulation could cut heating bills in half.

By blocking out the spaces that let cold air in and warm air in, you won’t need to turn the heat on as high or as long when the cold weather hits.

It’s inexpensive to make – rolls of weather stripping are around $8 at DIY stores.

Insulating your home and appliances is another good way to reduce your bill.

A hot water tank jacket costs just $20 and you don’t need to be a DIY expert to install one yourself at home.

In the case of your boiler, this means that it won’t waste energy at temperature, because less heat can escape.

And your water will stay hotter for longer, so you won’t have to spend as much time with the heater.

Draft excluders are also great for putting under doors, while fireplace balloons for your fireplace are essential if not in use.

Closing the curtains at night can also help keep heat from escaping through the windows.

However, curtains should generally be left open in the morning and during the day to maximize natural light and warmth.

Check if you can get free home renovations to lower your bills

Thousands of households can request free upgrades to their home – and even better, those upgrades could save you hundreds in energy every year.

The SEAI offers a variety of partially or fully funded programs to help households improve their energy and become more energy efficient.

If you are eligible for assistance, you can have your home fitted with insulation, double glazing, solar panels, energy efficient doors and heat pump systems.

In February, the government approved packages to make energy upgrades even more affordable.

Their main measures include:

• A new national home energy retrofit program offering increased subsidy levels of up to 50% of the cost of a typical deep energy retrofit.
• One-stop-shops to offer a hassle-free, start-to-finish project management service, including access to financing, for home energy upgrades.
• A significant increase in the number of free energy upgrades for people at risk of energy poverty to 400 per month – from an average of 177 per month in 2021.
• A special grant increased by 80% of the typical cost, for the insulation of attics and cavity walls for all households.

With sustainable energy, the more electricity you use, the more you can save.

Typically, you can reduce your electricity bill by around 40-50% with solar panels and a power inverter (for hot water).

If you add a battery, you could increase your savings to 70% or more.

Check your eligibility on the SEAI website.

Change provider

If all else fails, your best option might be to make a change.

According to the Utilities Regulatory Commission, customers who switch energy providers every 12 months can save up to €771 per year for a standard dual-energy plan.

Many of these companies are offering huge discounts of up to 40% off their standard unit rate for a year to new and new customers.

However, according to energy comparison site Bonkers.ie, only 14% of Irish households switched electricity suppliers and only 20% switched gas suppliers last year.

This means that a huge percentage of households are missing out on hundreds of dollars in savings.

Switching energy supplier is also free and easy to do.

You can switch by simply signing a contract with a new energy supplier. The contract with your old supplier will then be automatically switched.