Households in Westmeath are currently experiencing a major transformation to how they use electricity with the installation of Smart meters taking place across the county.
Smart meters are an upgrade to the analogue meters in homes and use the latest digital technology to give up-to-date details on a household’s electricity usage. Smart meters mean that there is no need for time-consuming meter readings or estimated bills.
Over 800,000 Smart meters have already been installed in homes across Ireland, with that number predicted to rise to one million by the end of this summer. By the end of 2024, it is expected that all two million households in Ireland will have a smart meter in their home. Smart meters have already been installed in some areas of the county and will be installed in other regions over the coming two-year period.
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU ), which is Ireland’s independent energy and water regulator, is advising households who have had a smart meter installed in their home to contact their electricity supplier about the smart services they offer, in order to access smart services.
Smart services give electricity users more choice and allow you to move your electricity use to times of the day that make sense for you and your household’s electricity needs.
According to the CRU, all electricity suppliers must offer Smart Price Plans to customers to with a Smart Meter.
A Smart Price Plan is a tailored offering that gives smart meter users the option to use energy at times that suit your usage.
A Smart Price Plan will give customers different ratees for electricity used at different time during the day to allow customers to find the best plan to suit their lifestyle.
Households in Westmeath that have had Smart Meters installed should contact their electricity supplier 30 days after installation to learn more about how they can make smart choices with their smart meter. Once installed it takes 30 days for your smart meter to establish its connection to ESB Networks secure communications network.
At that time your smart meter can be read remotely, and you will then be able to access new smart services offered by electricity suppliers.
“Smart meters are a natural evolution of the analogue meters that have been installed in Irish homes for generations. What makes smart meters different is they will give electricity customers a range of benefits to allow them more control over their energy usage and their bills and will assist customers to actively engage and play their part in the energy transition. Smart meters and the smart services that they will provide will put homeowners in the driving seat to allow them to choose price plans that suit their lifestyle best and to consume energy more efficiently.
“By the end of 2024 all households in Ireland will have a smart meter. Any household or customer in Westmeath that have had Smart meters installed should contact their electricity supplier to learn more about how they can use smart meters to make smart choices about their electricity usage," CRU Chairperson, Aoife MacEvilly said.
