David Kerr
Founder

In a surprise move early today, Electric Ireland have announced a new set of energy tariffs, with immediate effect.

This type of Plan change differs from the changes announced by all suppliers last October in that these plans are Discount Plan changes rather than Standard Price changes - in other words, the standard rates for gas and electricity have not changed, but the % discount they offer to customers (new, returning and existing) will depend on how you want to pay your bill and manage your account.

The new plans bear similar names to the previous ones - existing customers are offered the ValueReward set of plans which offer the widest range of payment choices and account management. New and returning customers are offered the ValueSaver set which offer discounts and requires all new accounts to use Direct Debit as the payment type.

The table below gives a brief outline of the new set of discounts:

Electric Ireland New Price Plans

Plan Name

Electricity
 Discount % 

Gas
 Discount %  

New and returning customers

 

 

Dual ValueSaver (Direct Debit & Post)

8%

8%

Dual ValueSaver (Direct Debit & Online Billing)

10%

10%

Electricity ValueSaver (Direct Debit & Post)

8%

 

Electricity ValueSaver (Direct Debit & Online Billing)

10%

 

Existing customers

 

 

Dual ValueReward (No Direct Debit & Post)

4%

4%

Dual ValueReward (No Direct Debit & Online Billing)

6%

6%

Dual ValueReward (Direct Debit & Post)

8%

8%

Dual ValueReward (Direct Debit & Online Billing)

10%

10%

Electricity ValueReward (No Direct Debit & Online Billing)

2%

 

Electricity ValueReward (Direct Debit & Post)

4%

 

Electricity ValueReward (Direct Debit & Online Billing)

6%

 

All customers

 

 

Green Electricity (Direct Debit & Online Billing)

6%

 

Dual Green & Standard Gas (Direct Debit & Online Billing)

6%

10%

Standard Gas (Direct Debit & Post)

 

4%

Standard Gas (Direct Debit & Online Billing)

 

6%

Dual Standard (No Direct Debit & Post)

0%

8%

Dual Standard (No Direct Debit & Online Billing)

0%

10%

 

There are a couple of things to note.

  1. Rewards are gone - no more €25 iTunes voucher for new dual fuel customers - this reward is being replaced by a the ultimate voucher - a "cashback" amount of €25 on your first bill, further reducing the annual cost
     
  2. All customers are offered the same level of discount - which are unusual and extremely welcome. Clearly the pricing boffins at Electric Ireland understand that customers don't want to be forced to leave their supplier for being loyal. The ValueSaver set of tariffs offer a slightly smaller (by 1% in most cases) discount than previously.
     
  3. Complexity is gone - the previous set of dual fuel energy plans included a customer choice of which of either gas or electricity would receive a higher discount. The customer could choose to discount one fuel heavily (previously the maximum was 14%) leaving the other one discounted at a lesser amount (previously 6%). Now both fuels are discounted equally making things a little easier to understand. No more "Dual ValueSaver (Direct Debit & Online Billing, electricity option)" - now it's just plain "Dual ValueSaver (Direct Debit & Online Billing)". Easier to understand all around.

 

All in all, this pricing update should be welcomed across the board - complexity is removed and all customers are treated equally.