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Smart Data 33%

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€1,160.03 /year

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Fixed Rate

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Home Electric SST 30%

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€1,197.03 /year

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Everything You Need To Know About Smart Meters in Ireland

Updated on
min reading
Smart meter over an ireland city

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?

Smart meters are digital devices that track your energy use and send data to your supplier. They provide accurate billing, help you understand your consumption, and allow you to take advantage of cheaper off-peak rates. Some even offer remote control of your energy usage.

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.

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.

What are Smart Tariffs and Time-Of-Use Tariffs?

Unlike standard electricity tariffs, smart meter tariffs offer different prices for electricity throughout the day. These are known as Time-of-Use tariffs.

These tariffs are designed to encourage consumers to avoid using electricty at peak times and shift their usage to cheaper nightime rates.

There are various types of smart tariffs available to homeowners;

  • Standard Smart Tariff
  • Weekend Smart Tariff
  • 24hour Smart Tariff

All suppliers are required to offer a Standard Smart Plan with three unit rates:

⚡ Smart Tariff Times
Unit RateTimePrice
Day08:00 - 17:00€€
Peak17:00 - 19:00€€€
Night19:00 - 23:00€€
Peak23:00 - 08:00

Special smart meter tariffs are also available for electric vehicle owners that offer an extra-low, night time rate for charging your electric vehicle.

Some suppliers also offer free weekend electricity as part of their smart tariffs.

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 Electricity Plans

📈 Cheapest Smart Meter Tariffs in Ireland
SupplierBest OfferEstimated Annual Bill (EAB)
Flogas Logo Contact Details
26% Discount€1,149.91
Energia Logo Contact Details
33% off Smart Electricity€1,160.03
Yuno Energy Contact Details
Fixed Discount€1,165.47
Electric Ireland Contact Details
30% Discount€1,169.14
SSE Airtricity Contact Details
Fixed Rate Offer€1,205.43
Bord Gais Logo Contact Details
32% Discount€1,227.56
Ecopower Logo
25% Discount€1,408.47
Community Power Logo
No Discount€1,479.45
Pinergy Logo Contact Details
No Discount€1,708.45
Prepay Power Logo 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: January 2025

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
Electric Ireland
€1,242.95€1,181.55€1,169.14
Bord Gais Logo
€1,257.40€1,188.96€1,227.56
Energia Logo
€1,270.59€1,210.79€1,160.49

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: January 2025

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.

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.

Smart Meter 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).

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.

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.

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.

Smart meter pros

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.

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.

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The services and products mentioned on this website may only represent a small selection of the options available to you. Selectra encourages you to carry out your own research and seek advice if necessary before making any decisions. We may receive commission from selected partner providers on sales of some products and/or services mentioned within this website. Our website is free to use, and the commission we receive does not affect our opinion or the information we provide.

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