High electricity bills are weighing on a lot of Irish households right now. If you are behind, or worried about falling behind, the worst thing you can do is nothing. There is more help than most people realise, and none of it costs a cent. Here is where to turn, and how to bring the bill down.
Behind on your bill? Start here
If money is tight, do not wait for a reminder letter or a red bill to act. The sooner you reach out, the more options you have, and everything below is free.
- Talk to your supplier first. They are obliged to offer a payment plan, and they would far rather arrange one than lose you as a customer. Do not ignore letters; the earlier you call, the more room there is to sort something manageable.
- Ask about a pay-as-you-go (prepay) meter. You top up as you go, so you can see exactly what you are spending in real time. If you are in arrears, the debt is cleared gradually from your top-ups (Electric Ireland, for example, puts 25 percent of each top-up towards arrears) while you stay connected. Bord Gais Energy and PrePayPower offer prepay meters too.
- Talk to MABS. The Money Advice and Budgeting Service is free, confidential and State-funded. They help you build a budget, deal with arrears and make sure you are claiming every support you are entitled to. Helpline 0818 07 2000, Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm, or visit mabs.ie.
- Know your protections. If someone in your home relies on electricity for medical equipment, register with your supplier as a vulnerable customer. Registered vulnerable customers cannot be disconnected, and there is a moratorium on disconnections over the winter months.
Know your biggest energy drains
When you want to cut the bill, start with the appliances that actually cost the most, not the ones that just feel wasteful. The big users are the ones that heat or move water and air.
- The tumble dryer is one of the thirstiest appliances in the house, at roughly 50 to 80 cent a cycle. Drying on a line or an airer when you can is one of the easiest savings in summer.
- Heating water is another big one, so an immersion on a timer, rather than left on all day, makes a real difference.
- The oven, electric heaters and the kettle all add up. Boiling only the water you need and not overfilling the kettle is a small habit that saves all year.
- Standby is the quiet one: TVs, chargers, consoles and set-top boxes drawing power while you are not using them. A standby saver or simply switching off at the socket stops it.
Use them at the cheapest time
It is not only what you use, it is when. The same wash or dishwasher cycle can cost very different amounts depending on the hour you run it.
- If you have a smart meter (ESB Networks fits them free), you can move to a time-of-use tariff where night electricity is a fraction of the day rate, sometimes around 6 cent a unit against 35 cent or more by day.
- Run the dishwasher, washing machine and immersion overnight to make the most of those cheap hours.
- Check the rate before you sign up, though: night rates vary a lot and some are rising. Pinergy is putting its overnight rate up by 82 percent on 1 August, so the cheapest deal today may not be the cheapest tomorrow.
- A plug-in timer or a Wi-Fi time switch makes it automatic, so the big loads run in the cheap window without you having to think about it.
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Review us on TrustpilotAbout Shamrock Electrical Supplies
Shamrock Electrical Supplies is an electrical retailer and wholesaler based in Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin. We supply homeowners and professional contractors across Ireland, with free delivery from the first euro.
Find Us
Shamrock Electrical Supplies
Unit 22, Block 613, Jordanstown Road
Greenogue Business Park
Rathcoole, Co. Dublin, D24 TX98
Opening Hours
Monday to Thursday: 7am to 5:30pm
Friday: 7am to 5pm
Saturday: 9am to 1:30pm
Sunday: Closed