Electric Ireland's new moratorium on disconnections will last until the end of June, while it is one of only a handful of suppliers not increasing its prices this month.
It’s not exactly the best time to be an energy customer with a raft of energy price increases being implemented from a number of suppliers today, with more to come throughout April.
However, Electric Ireland was one of only five energy suppliers not to increase its prices for customers on either its electricity or gas products.
Additionally, from today, Electric Ireland has announced it will be committing to a further disconnection moratorium for customers.
Find out more about the news below!
Customer care
Leading energy supplier Electric Ireland has announced it will be extending its moratorium on disconnections for over 1.1 million of its residential energy customers. The extension is set to last until the end of June.
The energy supplier has had a moratorium in place for the past five months, starting on October 22nd of last year, which has remained in place right throughout the Level 5 restrictions. The moratorium was also extended for the Christmas period.
Today’s announcement will see a further extension of the moratorium for Electric Ireland customers and will remain in place for a further three months, or eight months in total.
The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities had also implemented an industry-wide moratorium back in October which disallowed suppliers from disconnecting customers. However, that ban is only in place until mid April when Level 5 restrictions are set to be eased.
The announcement from Electric Ireland will help to provide customers that ‘may experience financial hardship and uncertainty’ more peace of mind as Level 5 of the Living with Covid-19 plan continues.
Executive Director, Electric Ireland Marguerite Sayers, said of the news:
At Electric Ireland we have a rigorous engagement process in place with our customers who are experiencing financial difficulties. We are acutely aware of the challenges that some customers will experience now with the continuation of Level 5 restrictions. We want to ensure those customers will be protected and have peace of mind as we all deal with the challenges of on-going restrictions.
The extension of our disconnection moratorium, which commenced last October for our customers means those most at risk can rest assured, they will continue to have the comfort they need at this difficult time, uninterrupted energy supply until the end of June. We also hope this will allow our customers that little bit of extra time to get back on their feet as restrictions start to ease.
Electric Ireland has asked all customers who are experiencing financial difficulty during these challenging times to make contact and they will work with them to find a payment plan that suits their individual circumstances.
Recent price announcements
As mentioned above Electric Ireland has refrained from increasing its electricity prices since SSE Airtricity became the first supplier to do so in 2021.
The company last implemented a price increase at the beginning of October 2020 when a 3.4% electricity price rise came into effect.
It didn’t increase its gas prices at the time and also implemented a gas price freeze for residential customers for the winter months.
At this time last year, April 1st 2020, Electric Ireland also decreased its gas prices by 11.5%.
Electric Ireland is also the only Irish supplier to offer an enduring discount of up to 8.5% for its residential gas and electricity customers, a discount that continues even after your contract has finished.
This is unique in the market compared to other suppliers who usually offer discounts for only the length of a 12-month contract, then switching customers to a higher unit rate.
Electric Ireland also recently announced a range of brand new smart tariffs for customers with smart meters installed - you can check out those plans here!
Save by switching
Remember, if you feel like you’re paying more than you need to for your gas and electricity you can always compare the market to see if you could be saving money.
The average energy customer that switches on bonkers.ie today could save up to €446 on their energy bills - and maybe more!
So if you’re out of contract, or if you haven’t switched in some time, run a quick comparison using one of our energy comparison tools to see how much you could save.
You will only need the following to switch:
- A GPRN number if switching gas and an MPRN number if switching electricity
- A recent meter reading
- A good estimate of how much energy you use
- Some personal details
Read our helpful guide on what you need to switch suppliers for a more detailed overview.
If you don’t feel like switching right now, there are steps you can take to reduce your energy consumption. Check out these 15 ways to use less electricity and save money to learn more.
Get in touch!
If you’re an Electric Ireland customer or if you have any questions about the switching process do get in touch in the comments below and we can help to answer them for you.
You can always get in touch with us over on social media. We’d be more than happy to take your questions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
