UPC is no more. Gone is the blue logo. Instead, expect to see the red and black Virgin Media sign on vans across the country. Although the company became part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group last December, the re-brand only started affecting customers in the last week. So if you’ve been a UPC customer, what does this mean for your bills and your remote control?

Well, take a sigh of relief, your zapper will still work. Your bills will now come from Virgin Media, but you don’t need to worry about a price hike anytime soon. In fact, the new move may be welcomed by many customers. UPC was recently named as one of Ireland’s least favourite brands. Virgin Media on the other hand is part of Liberty Global, the largest telecommunications company in the world.

Speaking to Irish Country Living, Eoin Clarke, managing director of independent price comparison website Switcher.ie, said: “This re-brand will be seen as an opportunity to do something different. Virgin Media will be entering the mobile phone market and will be the second telecommunications to offer Quad Play, which is essentially a bundle deal of your television, broadband, home phone and now mobile phone.

“Bundle deals have proven to be financially beneficial for consumers, and the fact that there are now two players in the market offering this bundle means better competition.”

Most importantly, Virgin Media will be trying to grow its customer base, which could benefit people living in rural areas. Already it has over one million subscribers.

It could also be a game changer in the tendering process of the National Broadband Plan. UPC previously expressed interest in tendering for the project that will bring high speed broadband to rural Ireland, but the fact that Virgin Media is an international company with massive resources means it could be a serious contender. CL

Electric Ireland to Cut

Electricity Prices by 2%

Good news for consumers as Electric Ireland has announced that it will be reducing household electricity prices by an average of 2% from 16 November.

“This is a positive move by Electric Ireland and should put pressure on other suppliers to follow suit,” says Eoin Clarke of Switcher.ie.

“Although these price cuts are welcomed, the average Electric Ireland standard tariff customer will see their annual bill cut by just 2%. Wholesales energy costs, which can make up around half of bills, are at their lowest level in five years and so price reductions can and should be greater. Energy suppliers need to pass on greater savings to help consumers before winter arrives.”

Although you may have heard it time and time again, switching can make a huge difference to your bills. Currently, there is a price difference of €343 a year between the average standard plan and the cheapest deal on the market. Last year, 15% of Irish consumers switched energy suppliers. That left 85% of customers paying more expensive, standard variable tariffs.

Beware of Car Scams

Thinking of buying a new car? Consumers should be aware that the ECC is warning against car scams, which are affecting people both here and in the UK. The problem occurs when people see a car online and put a deposit on it over the net. Although many people will go see a car before they purchase it, the ECC says that the problem occurs when consumers see a really good deal in a different county or region of the country. It might be a few days before you get the chance to see the car, so people are putting a refundable deposit on it to secure the deal. Consumers are being advised not to send payments by bank transfer or via money-wiring services. Try and buy from reputable dealers where possible and use credit cards for deposits.

Deadline for Irish Water extended

Didn’t get a chance to register for your €100 water grant before the deadline? The good news is the date has been extended and you now have one more week until the new date, 22 October. The original date was 8 October, but with eight hours to go before the midnight deadline, more than 500,000 eligible people were still to sign up. Irish Water said the volume of calls to its call centre increased by 1,000% as the deadline loomed.

As a result, Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly urged consumers that are applying to sign up as soon as you have a chance “and to avoid leaving it to the last minute”. Whether you’re an Irish Water customer or not, you could be eligible for the grant. Log on to watergrant.ie for more details.

BER rating improves the

price of your house

Thinking of buying a house? Perhaps it might be an option a few years down the line? Interestingly, a report from the ESRI (the Economic and Social Research Institute) found that when it comes to buying a home, the most energy efficient properties attract a price premium of 9.3% over comparably-sized properties without upgrades.

The research was carried out on over 36,000 properties listed on Daft.ie. You have to have a BER rating the energy efficiency of your home when selling. So if you need to get an inspection carried out, be sure to shop around as it’s an open market. Even if you’re not selling, improving the BER can have a big impact on your household bills.