'Is This a Good Time?' FAQs

• This winter, as Ireland relies more on renewable electricity generation, the electricity system will be under pressure. Ireland has a plan to grow the contribution of wind and other renewable sources as we move towards a Net Zero future. 
• However, wind can be variable and a shortage of back up generation means we face a heightened risk that the supply of power can keep pace with demand this winter. 
• A number of Government bodies are working closely on measures to minimise the risk of disruption over the coming months. This risk is greatest at the peak times between 5pm and 7pm Monday to Friday.  
• ESB Networks has set up a suite of 8 initiatives under an umbrella Programme called ‘Beat the Peak’ to work with customers across homes and businesses to help beat the peak, i.e., reduce electricity usage at peak time. 
• ESB Networks’ ‘Is This a Good Time?’ pilot is one of the initiatives being launched and is an awareness pilot that educates people on how and when they use their energy throughout the day. Its purpose is to invite people to join so that they receive information which will empower customers to take control of their usage. 

• Peak electricity demand typically occurs between 5pm and 7pm Monday to Friday, there can also be a shortage of electricity supply on the grid during weekday mornings. 
  
• During this time, because there is greater need for energy, Ireland is more dependent on imported fossil fuel, making the peak period particularly expensive and carbon intensive.  

• During the peak period, if there is pressure on gas supply, or when wind generation is low, or generators or interconnectors are out of service, there is a risk of insufficient generation to meet demand.
  
• Given Ireland’s dependency on imported fossil fuels and geo-political activities at present there is a possibility of electricity generation shortages at peak times this winter.  

• SEAI have a comprehensive list published on this topic – find SEAI-ReduceYourUse-Booklet.pdf
• The 5 most energy intensive appliances (use per hour) in descending order are – electric shower, tumble dryer, cooking (induction), kettle and iron. 

• Outside of the feedback surveys, we would appreciate any further feedback which can be submitted to engagement@esbnetworks.ie. 
• From time to time, the pilot team will send you a survey to get your feedback on how you are experiencing the pilot so far. These survey links will come from our research partners B&A and the URL will always begin with https://secure.bandasurvey.ie/.  

• You don’t need to change electricity tariff to participate, however it is always a good idea to explore the different tariffs that your current supplier and other suppliers in the market offer, to see if any of them save you money.

To register, follow the steps below: 

• Click here to start your sign-up process
• Fill in the required fields and the optional fields if you so wish.
• Click complete and wait for an email welcoming you to the pilot.

• You will receive updates via text message and email. 

Yes, you can. Every communication you receive will give you the opportunity to ‘opt out’ if you are experiencing any issues then please email engagement@esbnetworks.ie with ‘Opt Out’ in the subject header. 

• Customers will receive helpful hints and tips on how to shift their usage of energy to outside of peak energy periods. Customers will also be given an option to opt-into receiving alerts when there is high demand and low supply on the energy network and request you to take action if you can. You will also be asked to provide feedback on your experience of the pilot.

• ESB Networks is committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable data privacy laws and that all customer personal data is safe and secure.
• You can view ESB Network’s privacy and cookie policy which is located in the footer on the ESB Networks website.

• Northern Ireland Electricity Networks (NIE Networks) is the owner of the electricity transmission and distribution networks in Northern Ireland (not ESB Networks).  
• As ‘Is This a Good Time?’ is a pilot being delivered to ESB Networks customers, those living in Northern Ireland with a UK mobile phone number are not currently able to register for ‘Is This a Good Time?’.  

• No, a smart meter is not required to participate in this pilot. 

• Please email engagement@esbnetworks.ie with ‘Opt Out’ in the subject header. 

• We only require a minimal amount of personal data to join the pilot. We do, however, offer subscribers the opportunity to receive more customised hints and tips if they provide answers to the additional, optional questions. You can find out more about how we use your data in our terms and conditions available to view here.

• Please email engagement@esbnetworks.ie with the heading ‘Contact Preferences’. 

• As we are trialing ‘Is This a Good Time?’ as a pilot, participant experiences may differ. 
• Some customers who register for ‘Is This a Good Time?’ will be randomly selected and given the option to opt in to support with further activities, should these customers chose to do so they will be provided with a reward. 
• If you have any queries on rewards please contact engagement@esbnetworks.ie. 

• If you subscribed for the pilot you may be requested to opt-in to support Peak Events via email.  
• Should you receive this email, please complete the steps outlined to receive the reward.

• No, ESB employees are excluded from the rewards part of the pilot.

• A peak event is a time when there are lots of people all using electricity at the same time and there isn’t enough renewable generation on the system to supply their electricity demand. This means that during peak events, electricity is more expensive, more carbon intensive, and may be less secure.   

• A flexibility event occurs when there is a surplus of renewable energy available. During a flexibility event, we may ask you to be flexible with how and when you use your electricity. This is so that we can take full advantage of the available renewable energy as it is less expensive and less carbon intensive at this time. 

• In more technical terms, a peak event occurs when electricity consumption is expected to be in the 10% highest demand intensity over the course of the winter, at these periods there is a higher than usual risk of an Amber Alert. 
• If more information is required, and to find out more about Amber Alerts, please refer to 5.3 below.  
• A flexibility event occurs when there is a surplus of renewable energy available. During a flexibility event, we may ask you to be flexible with how and when you use your electricity. This is so that we can take full advantage of the available renewable energy as it is less expensive and less carbon intensive at this time.  

• Peak events can be called on any day where there are lots of people using electricity at the same time, including on days of amber alerts, but also on other days when demand is high and renewable generation is low. 
• Within the ‘Is This a Good Time?’ pilot, a peak event is an event triggered by ESB Networks on any day when there are lots of people all using electricity at the same time, particularly when there isn’t enough renewable generation on the system to supply electricity demand. During peak events, electricity is more expensive, more carbon intensive, and may be less secure.   
  
• An Amber Alert is an alert issued by EirGrid to the electricity sector when the buffer between electricity supply and demand is tighter than EirGrid would like. In practice, when this happens it is likely that ESB Networks will trigger a peak demand event.

• No, you will not be penalised if you do not act. If you have been offered a reward as part of your participation in peak/flexibility events and you wish to redeem the rewards, you will be required to respond to at least half of the peak/flexibility  event surveys issued per phase by ESB Networks post- peak/flexibility  event in order to redeem the reward.  

• We believe that if you take control of your electricity use during peak/flexibility events and make some simple changes in your home, farm and businesses it will have a big impact. If you have opt-ed into the peak/flexibility event notification part of the pilot then you will receive communications during a peak/flexibility event where you will be asked to shift your electricity consumption away from peak event times.   

• To make the research elements of this pilot more effective, different participants may have different experiences as we test personalisation, channels, peak/flexibility event actions and rewards. This means you may get different communications or information than your friends and family, and some people will not be involved in all aspects of the pilot. For example, not all participants will receive invitations to sign up to additional research for various rewards.  
• ESB employees are not eligible to receive rewards as part of this pilot.  

• If you have opted in to receive peak/flexibility event notifications and have received communication informing you you’ve been selected for pro-social charity rewards, it means ESB Networks will donate money to charities, provided you have met the criteria set out to qualify for the reward.  
• There will be conditions which are clearly stated in the pilot communications i.e via SMS/Email received that will need to be satisfied before the payment is made.  

• As partner charities of ESB Networks, both Alone and St. Vincent de Paul were chosen as recipients of the rewards generated from participants entered into the pro-social charity cohort of the pilot. Rewards generated will be split evenly between both charities. 

• For this phase of the pilot, pilot subscribers will not be offered the opportunity to select a charity of their choosing to donate their portion of the rewards to. Alone and St.Vincent de Paul have been chosen as recipients of the rewards generated from participants entered into the pro-social charity cohort of the pilot.  

• Customers do not have the option of changing the reward offered to them for supporting with peak/flexibility events. 

• Phase 1 of the peak events will run from December 2022 until January 2023 and if eligible you will receive your payment before the end of February 2023. 
• Phase 2 of the peak/flexibility events will run from February 2023 until March 2023 and you eligible you will receive your payment before the end of April 2023.

• All queries related to vouchers can be directed to One4All’s customer service team by calling 01 870 8100 or emailing custserv@one4all.ie They are open 8am – 8pm Monday – Sunday.