The best smart meter plan depends on how you use electricity. This article explains how you can find the best deal and save €100s.
5 Types of Smart Meter Plan
First, here are the 5 types of smart meter plan you should know about:
| Plan Type | Structure | Good For | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-hour (aka “Flat Rate”) | A single 24-hour rate | Day + evening usage | Electric Ireland Home Electric + |
| Standard/Interval Smart | Night (cheap): 11pm – 8am Peak (expensive): 5pm – 7pm Day (mid-price): 8am – 11am ex. Peak | Night usage | Bord Gáis Standard Smart |
| Day/Night | Night (cheap): 11pm – 8am Day (expensive): 8am – 11am | Night + evening usage | Energia Smart Day/Night |
| EV (aka “Night Boost”) | One of the above structures + EV (extra-cheap): 2am – 4/5/6am | Charging electric cars & batteries + cheap hot water | Pinergy Lifestyle EV Drive Time |
| Others | Various | Niche cases | Airtricity Half Price Weekends |
📊 How to Find the Best Smart Meter Plan for You
To find the best smart meter plan for you, first download your smart meter data from ESB Networks.
Next, compare electricity prices using Kilowatt.ie.
Why Kilowatt.ie? Because it takes your unique electricity usage pattern into account when comparing tariffs. This makes for more accurate results and bigger savings on your bill.
🚗 Best Smart Meter Plan for Electric Car Owners
Have you recently bought an electric car? Are you planning to charge it at home? If so, your electricity usage pattern is about to change.
You can account for this using the “Add EV charging” feature on the price comparison tool. This will take the extra overnight electricity usage into account when comparing electricity plans.
☀️ Best Smart Meter Plan if You Have Solar/Batteries
The price comparison tool has sliders to simulate the addition of solar/batteries to your smart meter data. This is great if you’ve just installed solar and want to know what the best plan will be, going forward. Hint: probably not the plan you’re currently on!
You can also use this feature if you’re thinking of installing solar/batteries and want to know what the saving would be.
Did you know? Many solar owners have been able to completely eliminate their electricity bills with the right choice of tariff. Some even get an annual cheque from their electricity supplier, instead of a bill!
⏲️ Load Shifting for Extra Savings
For extra savings, try shifting some of your energy usage to discounted bands. Here are some changes that make a big impact:
⌛ Use a timer switch to run your immersion heater on a cheap band
♨️ Charge electric storage heaters overnight for low-cost warmth
🫧 Schedule dishwashers and washing machines to run overnight
🔋 If you have a home battery, charge it on an EV rate
Should You Switch to a Smart Plan?
Once you switch to a smart plan, you can’t switch back. Therefore, many people are hesitant about the move. If you’re not sure what to do, first find out how much (if anything) you would save by switching to a smart plan. Here’s how:
- Open the Kilowatt.ie Price Comparison Tool
- Select “Smart meter configured as 24-hour analogue” or “Smart meter configured as day/night analogue”
- Upload your smart meter data
- Click “Compare Prices”
- Check the top results
Conclusion: How to save €100s easily
- Compare electricity prices to get on the best plan
- Make use of off-peak discounts