Will my electricity be cut off when I switch?

No. The same wires, poles, and meter — all owned and run by ESB Networks — carry your electricity no matter who supplies it. Switching only changes which company bills you. Your supply is never interrupted and nobody visits your home.

Do I need to phone my current supplier to switch?

Usually not. Your new supplier arranges the whole switch and closes your old account for you. The one thing worth checking is whether you are still inside a fixed-term contract, as an early-exit fee may apply.

How long does it take to switch electricity supplier in Ireland?

About two weeks from sign-up. That includes a 14-day cooling-off period during which you can change your mind. Your supply continues uninterrupted the whole time.

When is the best time to switch electricity supplier?

Switch as your fixed term or welcome-discount period ends. Most cheap deals are a 12-month discount that reverts to more expensive standard rates afterwards, so start comparing a few weeks before that date to line up the new plan and avoid rolling onto standard rates.

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First-timer's guide

How to switch electricity supplier in Ireland

Never switched before? It is far simpler than most people expect. Switching is free, takes about two weeks, and never interrupts your supply. Here is exactly what happens, what you need to have ready, and what to watch out for along the way.

First, the worries that stop people switching

Your power never goes off

The same wires, poles, and meter carry your electricity no matter who bills you — they all belong to ESB Networks. Switching changes the name on your bill, nothing physical.

Nobody visits your home

There is no engineer, no new meter, and no appointment. The whole thing happens behind the scenes between the suppliers and ESB Networks.

You do not deal with your old supplier

To switch, you do not contact them at all — no phone call, no notice, no cancellation. Your new supplier notifies them and closes your old account for you.

It costs nothing to switch

There is no charge to move supplier, and SmarterMeter is free to use too. The only cost to watch for is an early-exit fee if you leave a fixed contract before it ends — more on that below.

The switch, step by step

Compare plans on your actual usage

Every home uses electricity differently, so the cheapest plan is rarely the same for two houses. The trick is to compare suppliers against how you really use electricity, not a rough national average.

This is exactly what we do. SmarterMeter applies every Irish supplier’s rates to your own half-hourly smart meter readings and ranks them by what each one would really cost you over a year.

Get your details ready

To switch you need your MPRN — the 11-digit Meter Point Reference Number printed on any electricity bill — along with a recent meter reading and your bank details (IBAN) for the direct debit.

Connect your meter once and we pull your readings straight from ESB Networks for you, so there is no digging out old bills or reading the meter yourself. Your MPRN comes across with them.

Sign up with your new supplier

Confirm the plan you have chosen and hand over your details. From this point you have a 14-day cooling-off period, a legal right to change your mind and cancel with no penalty.

You can start the switch right from your results — pick a plan and we pass your details to that supplier to set it up. Nothing is shared with anyone until you choose.

Your new supplier does the rest

They notify your old supplier, arrange everything with ESB Networks, and take an opening meter reading. There is nothing for you to chase — you will simply get a welcome pack confirming your new plan and start date.

Settle your final bill

A few weeks after the switch, your old supplier sends a closing bill based on your final reading. If your account was in credit, that money is refunded to you. That is the switch done.

What do I need to say to my current provider?

Nothing — and that catches most people out. You do not have to ring your current supplier, tell them you are leaving, or give notice. Your new supplier notifies them and closes your old account for you.

The only reasons to contact them yourself are to check two things before you switch: your contract end date, so you know whether an early-exit fee applies, and that there is no unpaid balance, since arrears can hold up a switch. If you pay by direct debit, leave it running until the final bill is settled — any credit on the account is refunded to you afterwards.

Save that contract end date in your SmarterMeter profile and we will keep an eye on it for you — see below.

How long does it take?

About two weeks from sign-up to the switch completing. Built into that is a 14-day cooling-off period — a legal right to cancel and stay put if you change your mind. Your electricity supply continues without interruption the entire time, and the only visible change is the name on your next bill.

Timing and things to watch out for

None of these should put you off, but knowing them is the difference between a smooth switch and an avoidable fee.

Check for an early-exit fee before you leave a fixed contract

If you are still inside a fixed-term contract, leaving early can trigger an exit fee. Out of contract, there is no penalty. When we know which plan you are on, we flag its exit fee right on your results and net it against your saving — so you can see whether to switch now or wait for your contract to end.

The cheap deal is usually a 12-month discount, not a permanent rate

Most headline offers are a welcome discount that lasts a year, after which you roll onto the supplier's more expensive standard rates. The savings live in switching again when that year is up — which is the one thing that is easy to forget. Rather than leave it to a reminder in your phone, SmarterMeter can remember the date and re-check every supplier for you automatically (more on that below).

Do not leave the switch until the last day

A switch takes roughly two weeks to complete, so start comparing two to four weeks before your contract or discount ends. That lines the new plan up to begin as the old one finishes and stops you drifting onto more expensive standard rates in between. Our automatic check is timed to land one to three weeks ahead for exactly this reason.

Let us do the remembering

We watch your renewal so you do not have to

The hardest part of switching is not the switch itself — it is remembering to do it again when your discount runs out a year later. That is where most households quietly slip onto more expensive rates without noticing.

So tell us your contract end date and we will do the watching. One, two, or three weeks before it ends — you choose — we log in to your connected ESB account, re-check your latest usage against every supplier, and email you the results. You switch on time, every time, without keeping track yourself.

Re-checks your real usage, never an estimate
Emails you in good time, before your contract auto-renews
Free, and you can turn it off any time

Get started free

Already have an account? Turn it on under Automatic price checks in your profile.

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We rank every Irish supplier on your own smart meter data — then you can switch in a couple of minutes.

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