
Meters and readings
Top questions
We also have a step-by-step guide on how to read your smart meter.
key from ESB or Bord Gáis Networks.
ESB
- Electricity meter key: you can request a meter key from ESB Networks by
- contacting them directly.
- Call 1800 372 757
- Gas meter key: you can request a meter key from Gas Networks Ireland here.
1. You will generally find your meter contained in a meter box or cabinet located outside your home.
2. To take a meter reading, first open the meter box using a meter key.
3. Read the numbers displayed from left to right, ignoring any numbers in red. If you have a different sort of meter and aren't sure how to take the reading, please give us a call on 0818 405 405 or follow this link about How to read your meter.
4. If you live in an apartment, you may need to request the meter reading from the management company or your landlord.
Before installing a prepayment meter in your home, we will work with you to ensure this is the best solution based on your circumstances. The following criteria will apply:
• You must show that you are having trouble paying account arrears due to financial hardship and consent to the installation.
• You cannot be critically dependent on electrically powered equipment.
• A 24-hour tariff must be in operation at the address.
• You must have easy access to the meter in your home to input top-ups.
• An authorised outlet should be easily accessible to purchase credit for the meter.
If you do not meet the above criteria, for example you are critically dependent on electrically powered equipment; we will make every effort to find an alternative payment solution for you.
Some customers are normally protected from having their supply cut off during the winter months. However, if the credit is not maintained on a prepayment meter, the supply will turn off until a sufficient top up is applied.
*Please note if you live in rented accommodation, we will require permission from your landlord to install a PPM and the team will carry out a few checks to ensure your current meter is compatible for a PPM.
- It allows you to pay for your energy as you use it
- You will not receive a bill
- Emergency credit may be available if you run out
- It allows you to manage arrears while still receiving service
• You must show that you are having trouble paying account arrears due to financial hardship and consent to the installation.
• You cannot be critically dependent on electrically powered equipment.
• A 24-hour tariff must be in operation at the address.
• You must have easy access to the meter in your home to input top-ups.
• An authorised outlet should be easily accessible to purchase credit for the meter.
If you do not meet the above criteria, for example you are critically dependent on electrically powered equipment; we will make every effort to find an alternative payment solution for you.
Some customers are normally protected from having their supply cut off during the winter months. However, if the credit is not maintained on a prepayment meter, the supply will turn off until a sufficient top up is applied.
*Please note if you live in rented accommodation, we will require permission from your landlord to install a PPM and the team will carry out a few checks to ensure your current meter is compatible for a PPM.
Please note until you have entered the deactivation code, you will be required to keep the meter topped up or it will self-disconnect. Any top-ups from the date you register with Energia will be refunded by your previous supplier, you need to request this from them if necessary.
Contact us on +353818 405 405
What do I need to do if I have a SMART prepayment meter and I want a credit meter?
This should be de-activated automatically within 10 days by your previous supplier, you need to ensure your meter is kept in credit.My current supplier is Prepay Power
If your previous supplier is pre-pay power, you need to contact them directly to arrange the meter to be de-activated.I have left Energia:
We are sorry to see you go, if you are also changing to a credit meter and your new supplier is unable to provide you with a deactivation code, then please call Energia on 0818 642 642 and we will provide this for you.Electricity
If you experience any technical problems with your meter, please contact ESBN or Gas Networks Ireland directly.
ESB Networks 24-hour Emergency Line: 1800 372 999.
Gas Networks Ireland 24-hour Emergency Line: 1800 20 50 50
Electric Rejection messages:
“Error” - Top up code has the wrong number of digits
“Accepted” - Top Up code has been accepted by your meter
“Rejected” - Top Up code has been rejected by your meter
“Wrong Tar” - The Price Plan has been updated and the meter is waiting for a 40 digit code to be entered in order to update its records
“Duplicate” - The Top Up code has been entered previously
“Credit Hi” - The meter has received the maximum amount of credit and cannot accept another Top Up code.
“Incorrect” - The Top Up code has been entered incorrectly, or does not relate to that specific meter
Gas
Gas Card Meter Issues
If your PAYG Gas meter is not accepting your card, take it out, wipe it with a clean cloth and try again.
If it still does not work, press the red button A. If it shows 0.00, you will need to return to the shop where you purchased the credit as the card has not been credited correctly.
If Card Fail/Card Not Accepted appears on the display screen, ensure that you are using the correct Gas card. If this continues you need to obtain a new Gas card, which you can buy in your local Payzone outlet. Once you have a new card, please ensure that you dispose of any old cards and keep the new, initialised card, in a safe place - do not leave it in the meter.
PAYG Meter - If you have any queries or problems with the operation of your meter, please contact Gas Networks Ireland, Customer Care Team on 1800 464 464 Monday to Friday 8am – 8pm Saturday 9am – 5.30pm or Email [email protected]
PAYG Gas card - If you have any issues with your gas card, please contact your gas supplier or nearest Payzone outlet. Alternatively, you can log onto: www.payzone.ie
If you smell gas call Gas Networks Ireland 24 Hour Emergency Service on 1800 20 50 50 immediately.
Please note until you have entered the deactivation code, your meter will require topping up for you to receive supply. It will self-disconnect without top up.
I have registered with Energia:
Thanks for joining – In most scenarios Energia can provide you with the deactivation code for your electricity prepayment meter – Call us on 0818 405 405
I have a smart prepayment meter:
This should be de-activated automatically within 10 days by your previous supplier, you need to ensure your meter is kept in credit.
My current supplier is Prepay power/Panda power:
If your previous supplier is pre-pay power or panda power, you need to contact them directly to arrange the meter to be de-activated.
I have left Energia:
We are sorry to see you go, if your new supplier is unable to provide you with the deactivation code, then please call Energia on 0818 642 642 and we will provide this for you.
The Repayment Tariff is for customers who have agreed to repay a debt through their prepayment meter. This tariff will take a percentage of the credit purchased toward the debt and put the balance towards the daily standing charge and unit rate per kWh of gas or electricity used. A proportion of the credit purchased will ALWAYS be left for your gas and/or electricity usage.
See our tariffs section for a breakdown of charges. We will notify customers in advance of any changes to our standard rates.
Important: it is advisable to top up your card during the summer months to ensure the daily standing charge does not build up.
If you have any queries regarding prepayment meters, please get in touch.
- Send us an online enquiry by filling out this form.
- Write to us at Energia, PO Box 12380, Dublin 2
- Email [email protected]
- Give us a call on 0818 642 642
- Bring your Prepayment Card or PPM number to your nearest Payzone outlet and top up with the amount you require. Look for shops with the Payzone sign or log on to Payzone to find your nearest outlet.
- You can top up any amount from €10 to €100. Just give the shop assistant your card and money and they will process the top-up.
- You will be given a receipt with a 20-digit code. You will need this when topping up your meter at home. Please note some codes may be longer at times due to changes in tariffs.
Emergency Credit
When your credit reduces to €2 your meter will emit a low-volume warning sound for 2 minutes. Press 0 on your PPM to turn it off. After you press the button to turn off the warning sound, your meter will allow you to use up to €20.00 of emergency credit. You will need to make sure that your next top up is more than the total amount of emergency credit used.
Before installing a prepayment meter in your home, we will work with you to ensure this is the best solution based on your circumstances. You can contact us on 0818 642 642 and we will arrange to have the prepayment meter installed in your home. A Gas Networks Ireland fitter will then install the meter which takes around 45 minutes.
Your fitter/technician will …
- Install and test the meter to make sure everything is working properly.
- Show you how to use the meter and explain about your emergency credit.
- Give you your own gas card which you must put into the meter BEFORE you go to Payzone to buy your first credit.
- Provide you with all the information you need on your Pay As You Go gas meter. You should note that Pay As You Go gas meters cannot be installed in some apartments or under stairwells.
Purchasing credit
Please check the opening times of the Payzone outlets where you can buy credit. Credit cannot be bought over the phone or online. You can contact your Gas Supplier for a list of outlers in your area or log on to Payzone.Emergency Credit
If the credit on your meter runs low, you’ll be able to use up to €20 of emergency credit. The next time you top up, 35% of the vend will be used against the emergency credit. E.G. If you used €20 emergency credit and then top up by €10, €3.50 will be used to repay the emergency credit. Please note if you have debt on your meter an additional 10% will also be recovered from your initial vend. If your emergency credit runs out, gas supply terminates until you top up again.
For example, €100 transferred on to PPM at install, you purchase a €10 top up – your balance reduces to €99 (-€1) and €9.00 credit for ongoing usage. Please note if you live in rented accommodation, we will require permission from your landlord to install a PPM and the team will carry out a few checks to ensure your current meter is compatible for a PPM install.
You can chat to our Payments and Resolution team through Live Chat or via phone at 0818 642 642.
They are available 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday.
For example, €100 transferred on to PPM at install, you purchase a €10 top up – your balance reduces to €99 (-€1) and €9.00 credit for on-going usage.
Energia will send you a minimum of one and a maximum of four statements of account each year.
If this repayment option is no longer suitable, please call PAR on 0818 642 642 to discuss an alternative arrangement.
The total PSO credit of €89.10 was applied from 1 March 23 – 31 September 23 and was calculated daily and adjusted through a vend code.
From 1st October 2023:
The PSO levy has been calculated at €0.00 therefore there will be no daily adjustment to be applied.
If you are repaying a debt through your prepayment meter, we will take a percentage (10%) of the credit purchased toward the debt and put the remaining balance towards the daily standing charge and unit rate per kWh of gas or electricity used.
See our tariffs section for a breakdown of charges. We will notify customers in advance of any changes to our standard rates.
Important: it is advisable to top up your card during the summer months to ensure the daily standing charge does not build up
Below is what most smart meters supplied by ESB Networks will look like.
The digital display screen on your new smart meter shows your current meter reading in kilowatt-hours (kWh). To read the new meter, note the figures on the screen before “kWh” from left to right and include all digits.
Initially the meter will continue to be read manually by ESB Networks. From 2021 onwards it will be read automatically, significantly reducing the need for estimated bills.
Each day, normally around midnight and via a secure 2G mobile network, your meter will send ESB Networks the total amount of electricity consumed over the previous 24-hour period. This reading will be used to provide information to support customer billing, customers switching suppliers, and moving premises.
The meter will also record a more detailed breakdown of the electricity consumed in up to 30-minute periods.
The meter will also occasionally send ESB Networks diagnostic information about the meter itself.
For the consumer:
Smart meters will replace older mechanical meters. When fully functioning, smart meters will bring benefits to the consumer, the environment and the economy. With smart meters, there will be no need for estimated bills. You will be able to access the information you need to make more informed choices about your consumption and tariffs. Accurate information about energy usage across the day will allow you to manage your bills with greater accuracy. In summary, smart meters will improve consumer experience, customer choice and the range of products and services available to our customers.
For the environment:
The environment will benefit because smart metering will encourage energy efficiency, enabling an increase in renewable power on the electricity system. The upgrade programme will help to reduce CO2 emissions thus lowering Ireland’s costly dependency on fossil fuel imports.
For the economy:
The economy will benefit because using smart meters will help us to more efficiently manage energy flow during periods of high demand.
Your smart meter displays your total electricity usage in kWh. To read it, simply look at the main number shown on the screen and read it from left to right, just like a book. You don't need to press any buttons to see this overall consumption figure.
We also have a step-by-step guide on how to read your smart meter.
You can have a Smart Meter installed and remain on your current non-smart tariff however once you have moved to Energia Smart Energy Plan, it is not possible to move back standard plan.
Our Smart Meter plans have been designed with the customer in mind and offer a range of benefits to give you the best value, service and energy saving support.
- Peak rate: This is applied between the hours of 5pm and 7pm.
- Day rate: This is applied between the hours of 8am and 11pm, excluding the peak hours.
- Night rate: This is applied between the hours of 11pm and 8am.
ESB have already installed over 800,000 Smart Meters across Ireland and the roll-out is being delivered on an area-by-area basis.
You will receive notice from ESB in advance of them coming to your area to completion installation. It is estimated that all standard meters in Ireland will be replaced with a new Smart Meter by 2024.
ESB Networks confirm this information on their own website here.
Non-smart meters are manually read up to 4 times per year Smart Meters are able to remotely send your meter readings to ESB Networks. So with smart meters, with optimum connectivity, there will be no need for estimated bills.
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