ESB Networks Confirms Smart Meter Glitch After Customers Hit With Wildly Inflated Readings

ESB Networks has confirmed that a software fault caused some smart meter readings to be processed incorrectly last week, leaving customers alarmed by figures that showed impossible electricity usage on their accounts.

The issue, which affected readings on 6 and 7 March, appears to have stemmed from a planned software upgrade carried out by ESB Networks to one of its internal systems. The upgrade caused some customers' half-hourly meter data to be processed incorrectly, resulting in wildly inflated figures appearing on both ESB Networks online accounts and those of electricity suppliers.

Reports from customers across Ireland described usage figures that simply could not be real. Some accounts showed daily costs running into the hundreds or even thousands of euros, with one customer reportedly seeing a charge of €738 for a single day where the previous day's bill had been €1.83. Another account showed usage of 7,000kW in one day, at a cost of around €2,500.

ESB Networks has since confirmed the issue is internal and is not related to the smart meters themselves or the accuracy of recorded energy usage. The company has issued the following statement:

ESB Networks:

"We acknowledge some customers' meter readings have been processed incorrectly. The issue has been resolved, and we are working to correct all affected data. We apologise for the concern caused, and would like to assure customers that no action is required on their part."

Customers who spotted unusual figures on their accounts or received queries from their electricity supplier can take reassurance that the data will be corrected automatically. There is no need to contact ESB Networks or your energy supplier at this stage.

Around two million smart meters have been installed across Ireland as part of a national rollout.