At home. Gas. Level Pay - the manageable way to pay your bill

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1 BGE/RG/AH/1011 Level Pay - the manageable way to pay your bill Gas October / November 2011 i n t h i s i s s u e Natural Gas Price increase details 3 Level Pay - Pay the same amount every month 4 Boiler Repair - The Home Team can help you heat your home 5

2 Welcome to I t s that time of year when there s a nip in the air telling you that Winter is upon us. Now is the time to ensure that your home will be warm and cosy despite the cold weather we re faced with. The Bord Gáis Energy Home Team are out on the road helping homeowners winter-proof their homes. In this issue of you will find information on the new gas tariffs effective from 1 October. Full details can be found on the page opposite. Despite this increase, Bord Gáis Energy standard gas tariffs are still competitive when compared against other Irish energy suppliers. What s more, we also have the cheapest standard electricity rates in the Irish market. Bord Gáis Energy is committed to helping customers manage their costs. With this in mind, our new payment option Level Pay allows you to spread the cost of your gas bills evenly throughout the year so you ll know exactly how much your payment is each month. We ve got details on how you can save yourself up to 20% on your energy costs by installing a high efficiency boiler or if it needs any repair work, our Home Team can advise you. I hope you enjoy your latest copy of and remember, we re here to help. TRACY KENNEDY Head of Customer Operations BoRD GÁIS ENERGY Bord Gáis Energy Winner of Innovation in Customer-led Efficiencies at the Customer Contact Association Excellence Awards 2010 We d love to hear your feedback, or if you have any questions, just drop us an on athome@bordgais.ie Based on Urban 24 hour tariff (unit rate of cent per kwh and standing charge of per year (inc. VAT)). Cheapest standard unit rate and standing charge at 1 October compared to equivalent competitor rates.

3 tariffs UPDATE Natural Gas Price increase As you may be aware from recent news reports, the wholesale price of gas for the coming Winter is 33% higher than for last Winter. Because we purchase our gas from these wholesale markets, we must pay market prices. We regret, therefore, that we will be increasing residential gas prices by 21.72% from 1 October Since we are regulated, this increase has been sanctioned by the Commission for Energy Regulation. 3 Since early 2009, Bord Gáis Energy has reduced prices by 25%, with three separate price decreases (-7.3% in February 2010, -9.3% in October 2009 and -11.2% in May 2009). However, wholesale gas prices have risen substantially in the last year. Unfortunately, energy suppliers across Europe have had no choice but to pass some of these increases on to their customers. Bord Gáis Energy is committed to providing solutions to help customers manage their costs. Our Pay As You Go meters help you control your natural gas costs and consumption while our Level Pay payment option allows you to spread the cost of your gas bills with equal payments over the year. For further information on tariff and payment options or for energy saving tips, visit our website bordgaisenergy.ie or call STANDARD TARIFF (inc VAT) (INC VAT) Standing charge Unit price This tariff consists of two elements, the standing charge and the charge for the natural gas you use. No standing charge tariff (inc VAT) (INC VAT) Tier 1 Unit price Tier 2 Unit price This tariff is designed for customers who prefer not to pay a standing charge. Instead there are two tiers of charges: the first 2,870 units are charged at the Tier 1 rate, with further units charged at the Tier 2 rate. Wintersaver tariff (inc VAT) (INC VAT) Standing charge Bundled units Unit Price VAT is charged at 13.5%. For information purposes VAT calculation is rounded off to two decimal places. With the Wintersaver tariff, there s a standing charge of ( excluding VAT) per year. This entitles you to 3,174 bundled units allocated over the Winter period at no extra charge. Visit: bordgaisenergy.ie Call:

4 Level pay 4 Taking the guesswork out of your gas payment Wouldn t it be great to always know exactly how much your gas payment will be each month? With Bord Gáis Energy s Level Pay, now you can. It s as easy as this: You agree on a monthly amount Amount is based on your year s gas consumption and current price You pay through Direct Debit? With Level Pay, you will always be in control of your gas budget because you know how much you are spending each month. No more unexpected surprises in your bill, just the same fixed amount every month. Benefits of Level Pay - Complete control of your gas budget because you know exactly how much you have to pay by Direct Debit each month. - You choose a monthly payment date that suits you. - No unexpected surprises in your bill. - At the end of 12 months any balance owed or owing to you is brought forward to the following year and spread out evenly over your monthly payments. - Free service that anyone on our standard tariff can sign up to. Signing up for Level Pay is free and easy. Just call us on , make sure you have all of the following, and we ll take care of the rest: A Direct Debit set up with Bord Gáis Energy No outstanding arrears on your account A recent actual meter read Be in control with Level Pay: Visit: bordgaisenergy.ie/levelpay Call: Your monthly payment amount is based on your most recent consumption, your year s consumption and energy prices. An initial tolerance of 20% is added for variations in your usage. If the calculated monthly payment varies by 20 we will adjust your monthly payment amount. If there is a balance of less than 200 owed by you or owing to you, this amount will be carried over into the next year and used to adjust the monthly payment amount for the next year. Terms and conditions apply. Level Pay was ly known as Plan-Pay Direct Debit.

5 Insulation Boiler Repair / replacement A well working boiler means a happy home It won t be long before the temperature drops further and we find ourselves in the depths of Winter. Your boiler is at the heart of your home, and like everything, it works best when it s at its most efficient. A regularly serviced boiler is safer, more environmentally friendly, and will save you money and energy. Waiting until your boiler breaks down is not safe or smart. So don t get caught cold; get your boiler serviced today. The Home Team offer flexible appointment times to fit around you, including Saturdays. They only use parts that meet approved Bord Gáis Energy standards, and they ll leave you with the peace of mind that your boiler will be up to the task of heating your home this Winter. 5 The Bord Gáis Energy Home Team can service and repair your boiler safely and efficiently. Each of our Home Team Engineers is a Registered Gas Installer (RGI) and offer a full repair in case of breakdowns, ensuring your gas boiler is operating to the highest standards. If you have an older boiler, it will typically operate at 60-70% efficiency. Therefore, it may be in your interest to install a new Band A boiler which operates at levels in excess of 90%. By simply replacing your boiler with a higher efficiency model and installing heating controls, you can save yourself up to 20% on your energy costs.* Find out more: Visit: bordgaisenergy.ie/hometeam Call: hometeam@bordgais.ie *Source: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.