Smart Meters Ireland: All About ESB Smart Meters

By David Tait

Editorial Manager

Smart meters work by transmitting real time information to your electricity provider ensuring that you get accurate and detailed billing for your energy consumption. There are three different rates for customers using a smart meter, a day rate, a higher peak rate and a lower night rate. The incentive is to change your electricity consuming habits in order to avail of the cheaper night rate and thereby reduce your electricity bills.

What Is a Smart Meter?

Simply put, a smart meter is a device that counts your electricity usage in real-time and wirelessly relays that information to your energy provider.

This allows you to have up-to-the-minute control over your electricity consumption, intended to help reduce electricity usage in your home.

Having a smart meter eliminates the need to submit meter readings which means that you shouldn't be overcharged on your energy bills that can sometimes happen when your usage is estimated.

How Do Smart Meters Work?

Your smart meter transmits your electricity usage wirelessly via a secure 2G mobile phone network, provided by Three Ireland Limited.

The technology used in the ESB smart meter-supplier communications employs multiple layers of cyber security and complies with all applicable data privacy and protection laws.

How Is a Smart Meter Different From a Regular Electricity Meter?

A standard electricity meter will keep count of how much electricity you use each day. You need to submit a meter reading to your energy provider regularly to pay your bill accurately.

In contrast, a smart meter can track when you use your electricity and not just how much. This gives you more control as to when to use larger appliances and benefit from lower electricity tariffs.

A smart meter will also automatically relay your meter readings to your supplier, saving you time and effort. Usually, the different prices are divided into three daily prices. For example, the Electric Ireland smart meter plan is divided as follows:

• Smart meter periods
• Peak time: From 5 to 7 pm.
• Night time: From 11 pm to 8 am.
• Day time: From 8 am to 5 pm 7pm to 11 pm.

Usually, night time rates are the most economical, and peak time is the most expensive rate. Special smart meter tariffs are also available for electric vehicle owners.

Do You Get Cheaper Electricity with a Smart Meter?

In theory yes, it is possible to get cheaper electricity with a smart meter provided you are willing to change how you use electricity at home.

Estimated annual bills for smart tariffs are based on a national average and as a result, often look more expensive than standard meter electricity plans as they can't take into account the individual consumption habits of the user.

Below you will find the current estimated annual bill for the suppliers above on thier smart electricity tariffs.

📈 Cheapest Smart Meter Tariffs in Ireland

Supplier	Best Offer	Estimated Annual Bill (EAB)
Contact Details	26% Discount	€1,149.91
Contact Details	Fixed Discount	€1,165.47
Contact Details	30% Discount	€1,169.14
Contact Details	Fixed Rate Offer	€1,205.43
Contact Details	26% off Smart Electricity	€1,199.49
Contact Details	32% Discount	€1,227.56
	25% Discount	€1,408.47
	No Discount	€1,479.45
Contact Details	No Discount	€1,708.45
Contact Details	No Discount	€1,742.31
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Smart meter rates calculated according to latest rates published by suppliers with applied discounts. Calculations made by Selectra, actual supplier offers may vary.
Last Updated: November 2024

If we take the biggest three supplier, Electric Ireland, Bord Gais and Energia, we can compare thier current estimated annual average bills across three tariff types, 24hr, nightsaver and smart, to see how they compare and if the smart plan is indeed a cheaper option.

⚡ Standard vs Smart Price Plans

Provider	🕧 24hr	🌙 Nightsaver	💡 Smart Plan
	€1,242.72	€1,181.55	€1,169.14
	€1,257.40	€1,229.08	€1,227.56
	€1,270.59	€1,210.79	€1,199.49

Smart meter rates calculated according to latest rates published by suppliers with applied discounts. Calculations made by Selectra, actual supplier offers may vary.
Last Updated: November 2024

As we can see, the difference between a standard 24hr price plan and a smart plan for the three providers is not too different. For each supplier, the estimated standard 24hr price is lower than that of the smart plan.

For each supplier, the estimated annual bill for their nightsaver price plan works out as the cheapest among the three price plans.

What needs to be stressed is that smart plans, and nightsaver plans, benefit customers who can better manage thier consumption habits and move them to the lower night rates.

While smart plans may look more expensive on paper, it is the individual customer who can reduce this as opposed to a standard 24hr price plan where the customer cannot take advantage of cheaper nightime rates.

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What Are the Pros and Cons of a Smart Meter?

If you're looking for ways to save money on your electricity bills, a smart meter can help by allowing you to monitor and cut back on your consumption.

Smart meters in Ireland will also give you access to a wider variety of tariffs, some of which offer cheaper prices during certain hours.

ESB Smart Meter Advantages

Let's have a look at some of the various advantages of ESB smart meters.

• Accurate Billing
  Smart meters automatically send accurate meter readings to your energy supplier, you no longer need to deal with estimated bills.
• Real-Time Display
  With a smart meter, customers can use the In-Home Display monitor, their online account, or an app to see how much energy they are consuming.
• Savings
  Studies suggest that customers with a smart meter could save an additional 2.5% on their average energy bills per year (around €30) because of increased awareness of their consumption.
• Eliminate Inefficient Devices
  A smart meter will allow you to identify which appliances are consuming the most energy. You can then easily take steps to replace items or encourage energy-saving behaviour.
• Curb Your Behaviour
  There are many ways to reduce your bills by changing energy spending habits in your household. A smart meter can help you easily identify these.
• Access Better Tariffs
  An ESB smart meter allows for time-of-use tariffs. These tariffs take consumption patterns into account and allow consumers to take advantage of cheaper rates during off-peak hours. With this type of tariff, you could save up to 8% (around €80 a year) on your energy bills if you consume more than a quarter of your energy during off-peak times.
• Reduce Carbon Footprint
  Smart meters will aid Ireland’s Climate Action Plan. Less energy consumption equals less demand. Less demand means a further reduction in carbon-producing fuels that produce electricity. 
• Support Renewable Energy
  Smart meters will be able to calculate electricity imports and exports. This means that customers who have additional energy sources, such as solar power, wind farms, will find it easier to feed their excess electricity back into the grid and get paid for it.

Are There Any Disadvantages to Smart Meters?

Let's examine some of the various disadvantages of ESB smart meters.

• Cost
  Advertised as a ‘Free’ installation, the ESB smart meter rollout will incur an additional network charge for all customers, no matter if you have a smart meter or not. This will be the nominal amount of €5.50 a year added to your bill for the next 20 years.
• No Turning Back
  Once you decide to have a smart meter installed, there is not a change of mind policy. You cannot return to your old-style meter if you are not happy with these new modern ones.
• Not Fail-Proof
  Some smart meter customers in the UK have also reported issues with faulty meters contributing to an increase in their bills.
• Dependent on Phone Signal
  If you live in a remote area where the phone signal is low, your smart meter will not work efficiently.
• Overestimated Savings
  An overestimate of the potential savings. As listed below, none of the best electricity offers in Ireland are with a smart meter tariff.

Is There an ESB Smart Meter App?

Unfortunately there is not an offical ESB smart meter app but you can create through your ESB Networks Online Account.

Through your account you can view details of your electricity usage to help you understand and manage your consumption.

To sign up, all you need to do is visit the ESB Networks Account registration page and submit the following details:

• Email address
• MPRN number
• Mobile number

Once signed up, you will be able to access your smart meter information.

Are Smart Meters Compulsory in Ireland?

No. If you do not want to have your meter upgraded to a smart meter, you have the legal right to refuse one.

To opt-out of getting a smart meter in Ireland, contact ESB Networks to let them know. 

You will need to provide your MPRN. You can find this 11-digit number on your electricity bill.

Keep in mind, you would miss out on the benefits a smart meter offers. There is also no guarantee that future smart meter installation requests will be free of cost, as is currently the case.

When Are Smart Meters Coming to My Area?

To date, ESB Networks have already installed over 250,000 smart meters in Irish homes, businesses and farms. The company aims to complete all 2.4 million smart meter installations by the end of 2024.

ESB Networks is conducting the installation of smart meters on an area-by-area basis. The company will advise you in advance when they are in your area and commencing smart meter installation.

To get an ESB smart meter installed, contact the distributor directly or your energy supplier. You can reach ESB Networks on 1800 928 123 or 01 698 5005. They are managing the installation of smart meters in Ireland.

The meter exchange requires a power outage of up to 45 minutes. ESB does the smart meter installation for free and will contact you before carrying out the work.

Common ESB Smart Meter Problems and Solutions

Given that this is new technology, there can be some technical problems with your smart meter. We look at some common ESB smart meter problems and how to troubleshoot these issues below.

How Do You Read an Esb Smart Meter?

Every smart meter has a digital screen from which you can select the display option of your choice. Simply push the large black button on the left-hand side and scroll between display options.

Your cumulative meter reading should be the number displayed in the centre of the digital screen.

Here is the information found from the default display:

1. Shows the cumulative kWh usage for a 24-hour period
2. Current Time-Of-Use tariff (i.e. T1, T2, T3) for day, night, or peak tariff
3. Meter signal strength
4. Voltage and the direction of feed (import or export for those selling back energy produced from their solar panels, windmill, or another source).

How Do I Get Emergency Credit on a Smart Meter?

Smart meters don't work on a credit system however some suppliers offer smart Pay-As-You-Go tariffs such as Electric Ireland and Prepay Power.

As an example, Prepay Power allows you to enable emergency credit from their app. The emergency credit activation button is on the home screen.

I Cannot Read My Smart Meter Monitor

Do not confuse smart meters with electricity monitors, or In-Home Display (IHD) monitors. Currently, we know of two electricity suppliers, Electric Ireland and Pinergy, who provide IHDs with their smart meter plans.

By looking at an electricity monitor, you'll be able to see how much energy you are consuming and how much you are spending, in near real-time. Roughly the size of a smartphone, you can place the device anywhere you like in your house.