Smart Pay As You Go FAQs

SPAYG is a prepaid electricity service through ESBN smart meters, designed to help customers manage costs and avoid disconnection during financial hardship.
It’s suitable for those who:

• Are experiencing difficulty paying account arrears due to financial hardship.
• Consent to activating smart services on your meter and share your half-hourly meter data.
• Have a working mobile phone number and email for communications and balance alerts.
• Are not critically dependent on electrically powered equipment.
• Have a smart meter installed with a strong communication signal.

SPAYG enables remote disconnection and reconnection based on your credit balance.

A portion of each top-up goes towards paying off any outstanding debt from before SPAYG was set up.

Benefits include no more bi-monthly bills, the ability to manage arrears while maintaining service, and access to emergency credit (when available).

Each night, ESB Networks sends us your usage details. This, combined with any top-ups you've made, helps us calculate your “midnight balance” and estimate how many days of credit remain. You can choose to receive daily or weekly updates about your remaining credit.

You must top up regularly to keep your account in credit. If your credit runs out, your electricity supply may be temporarily disconnected until you top up enough to bring your account back into credit.

Reconnection usually happens remotely within 1 hour and 15 minutes of topping up (unfortunately, this is not instant). If remote reconnection isn't possible, you'll receive a call from an (021) number to arrange a visit from ESB. This is to ensure there's access to the property and that an adult is present.

When logging into your EOL account, SPAYG customers will be presented with a personalised dashboard tailored to their financial activity. This dashboard displays both your current and outstanding balances, with clickable links for further details on each. You’ll also have access to your midnight balance, if needed. In addition, the dashboard provides direct links for making payments and viewing your complete financial history.

You'll receive quarterly and annual statements updating you on your remaining balance. Additionally, you will receive alerts through your chosen contact method, if you are at risk of disconnection, your top-up is insufficient, to confirm your balance and days of credit remaining, to thank you for your payment and to confirm supply reconnection.

The minimum top-up amount is €10.

• You can top up via your energy online account: Energia | Energy Online
•  Through our fast pay service: Pay a bill | Energia Fastpay
• Alternatively, you can visit any Payzone outlet using your top-up card or your unique identifier number.

Yes, you may avail of emergency credit up to €20. Any emergency credit used will be deducted from your next top-up.

If your credit runs out after 4pm (5pm in summertime) on a weekday or during weekends, the supply will remain on until at least 9am (10am in summertime) the next working day, with exceptions on certain holidays.

A daily standing charges will still be applied even if the meter has no credit. Energia’s standard SPAYG rates will apply, and tariff details are available on our website.

Yes, vulnerable, and elderly customers who are not on pay as you go will not be disconnected during winter months (November–March). However, if a vulnerable customer opts for SPAYG and it is suitable, their supply will disconnect if a debit balance is not maintained, regardless of the time of year. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has safeguards in place for vulnerable users. Review our vulnerable customer code of practice.

Yes, if you use MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service), Society of St. Vincent de Paul Ireland or other advice agencies, and would like us to communicate with them on your behalf we can do so.

For health & safety, we recommend that you ensure electrical appliances are switched off prior to reconnection. We are unable to accept any responsibility for any damage or harm caused either directly, or indirectly, because of the electricity supply reconnecting.

If you have any concerns, difficulties or questions about SPAYG, please call Energia today on 0818 642 642. Lines are open Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm.

If you have Microgeneration at your property, the credit generated will be taken off your debt balance every 2 months (this won't go towards your SPAYG balance).