Customers of Electric Ireland, Bord Gáis Energy and Energia claimed their meters indicated they owed thousands in bills from just a few days of energy consumption
A significant glitch resulted in a number of Irish households being informed they had used thousands of euros worth of electricity
ESB Networks have issued an update following a significant technical fault which resulted in a number of households receiving notifications that they had consumed thousands of euro worth of electricity.
Customers with Electric Ireland, Bord Gáis Energy, and Energia reported vastly inflated meter readings earlier this month, with several homeowners sharing their experiences on online forum Reddit. Multiple users stated that their meters indicated they owed thousands in charges based on merely a few days’ worth of energy consumption.
ESB Networks, which manages smart meter operations, transmitted inaccurate meter data covering the period from March 6-8.
The ESB has said that the incorrect readings were caused by an “internal software issue” following a “planned software upgrade”
An ESB Networks spokesperson confirmed the problem stemmed from an internal software malfunction.
“This is an internal software issue and is not related to the integrity of smart meters or the recorded energy use,” the spokesperson said. “We are in the process of identifying and resolving the issue in our systems and will systematically correct all affected data.”
ESB have now acknowledged that rectifying normal information for a portion of impacted customers is proving “longer than originally anticipated,” reports RSVP Live.
ESB Networks told the Irish Independent: “On Friday, March 6, a planned software upgrade to an ESB Networks internal system caused some customers’ meter readings to be processed incorrectly, causing high and incorrect usage figures to be sent to all suppliers and to be displayed in customers’ ESB Networks online account.” The organisation stated that “more than 99pc of the affected customers’ usage data has now been corrected and we are aware that some suppliers have commenced billing”.
“It is taking longer than we originally anticipated to restore normal information for the last 0.5pc,” they added. “When ESB Networks has completed the data correction for the remaining customers, that corrected data will be provided to suppliers.”
However, despite the disruption caused, they have confirmed no compensation will be offered to those impacted.
“While we understand the inconvenience caused, compensation does not apply in this circumstance,” they confirmed in their statement.
Smart metres are designed to enable customers to access comprehensive information and analysis of their energy consumption directly via the ESB Networks online portal. Approximately four in five households have had a smart metre fitted.
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