Cheapest Electricity in Ireland
The cheapest electricity supplier in Ireland right now is SSE Airtricity at about €1473 a year for a typical home (4,200 kWh) on its new-customer 24-hour plan, with Energia (€1519) and Bord Gáis Energy (€1538) close behind. Rates verified 12 Sep 2026.
Who is cheapest for your home depends on how much you use, where you live, whether you pay by direct debit, and which discounts you qualify for. This page compares the headline unit rate, standing charge and the estimated annual bill for a typical home across every supplier, so you can see who is actually cheapest for a household like yours. If price is only one of your priorities, see our guide to the best electricity provider in Ireland.
Last verified 12 September 2026
Fact-checked by John Rooney, Solar Energy Editor. Editorial policy
Quick Answer
SSE Airtricity is the cheapest electricity supplier in Ireland for a typical home right now, at about €1473 a year on its new-customer plan (28.79 c/kWh plus a €263.86/year standing charge). The cheapest supplier changes often because of switching discounts (often 20 to 40% off in year one). To find the genuinely cheapest deal, compare the discounted unit rate and standing charge for your usage, and remember the headline rate reverts to standard pricing after 12 months. Solar households should also factor in the Clean Export Guarantee rate. A slightly higher unit rate can be worth it if the export rate is much better.
Compare electricity prices for your home
Rates verified 12 Sep 2026- Home Electric+ SST Discount (20% off, €30 welcome credit)Day 32.43 / Night 17.04 / Peak 34.60 c/kWh€1,395year 1
- Unit rate
- 27.79 c
- Standing
- €251
Unit rate blended on your usage.Standing charge is less €30 credit. - €1,490year 1
- Unit rate
- 29.81 c
- Standing
- €251
Unit rate blended on your usage.Standing charge is less €20 credit. - Smart Data and Discount (17% + 6% direct debit + 4% online billing)Day 30.75 / Night 16.91 / Peak 34.54 c/kWh€1,498year 1
- Unit rate
- 28.89 c
- Standing
- €278
Unit rate blended on your usage.Weighted for rise from 12 Oct 2026. - €1,509year 1
- Unit rate
- 29.16 c
- Standing
- €278
Unit rate blended on your usage.Weighted for rise from 12 Oct 2026. - EnergySaver 24h Discount (16% off, €60 welcome credit)€1,540year 1
- Unit rate
- 31.95 c
- Standing
- €251
Standing charge is less €60 credit.
Year-one cost on each supplier's 24-hour plan and, with a smart meter, every verified day/night/peak and EV plan: band rate × your kWh in that band + standing charge + PSO levy, less any welcome credit and solar export income, with announced price rises weighted by the days you would spend on each rate. EV charging is placed in each plan's cheapest window and, if you tick it, the battery is charged from the grid overnight to displace peak-rate usage. See also the EV, heat pump and home battery tariff pages. Full method: how we calculate.
Electricity Prices per kWh in Ireland: Every Supplier Compared
Estimated annual bill is unit rate × 4,200 kWh + standing charge, inclusive of 9% VAT, on each supplier's typical new-customer discounted plan for a standard 24-hour urban meter. Discounts last 12 months before reverting to the supplier's standard rate, which is typically 20 to 40% higher.
| # | Supplier | Unit Rate | Standing Charge | Est. Annual Bill | CEG Export Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SSE Airtricity | 28.79 c/kWhrises to 31.50 c/kWh, €280.01/yr standing from 5 Oct 2026 | €263.86/year | €1473 | 19.50 c/kWh |
| 2 | Energia | 29.85 c/kWhrises to 30.45 c/kWh, €278.27/yr standing from 12 Oct 2026 | €265.01/year | €1519 | 18.50 c/kWh |
| 3 | Bord Gáis Energy | 30.78 c/kWhrises to 33.58 c/kWh, €262.38/yr standing from 9 Oct 2026 | €244.76/year | €1538 | 18.50 c/kWh |
| 4 | Electric Ireland | 31.95 c/kWh | €250.77/year | €1593 | 19.50 c/kWh |
| 5 | Yuno Energy | 34.85 c/kWh | €219.22/year | €1683 | 17.16 c/kWh |
| 6 | EcoPower | 35.50 c/kWh | €302.37/year | €1793 | 15.20 c/kWh |
| 7 | Pinergy | 37.59 c/kWh | €283.47/year | €1862 | 18.50 c/kWh |
| 8 | Community Power | 37.88 c/kWh | €302.01/year | €1893 | Not published |
| 9 | PrePayPower | 37.62 c/kWh | €342.69/year | €1923 | 15.89 c/kWh |
| 10 | Flogas | 44.00 c/kWh | €305.68/year | €2154 | 18.50 c/kWh |
The CRU (Commission for Regulation of Utilities) does not set retail electricity prices. Suppliers price competitively. Use the regulator's accredited comparison tools alongside this page when you are ready to switch.
Cheapest Standing Charge for Electricity in Ireland
The standing charge is the fixed daily fee you pay before using a single unit, so it matters most in low-usage homes. On the urban 24-hour plans we track, Yuno Energy has the lowest at €219.22/year and PrePayPower the highest at €342.69/year, a gap of €123 a year before any electricity is used. Rural meters carry a higher standing charge with every supplier. The PSO levy is charged on top by all suppliers and falls from €19.10 to €6.67 a year on 1 October 2026, the same day the 2026/27 network charges add about €41 to a typical bill. For what all of this adds up to for a typical home, see the average electricity bill in Ireland.
Cheapest Pay-As-You-Go Electricity in Ireland
Prepay electricity is a different market. The two dedicated pay-as-you-go suppliers, PrePayPower and Pinergy, both charge more per unit than the discounted direct-debit plans in the table above, and PrePayPower adds a prepayment service charge on top of the standing charge. Of the two, Pinergy is cheaper for a typical home at about €1862 a year before welcome credit, against €1923 for PrePayPower.
| Supplier | Plan | Unit Rate | Standing Charge | Est. Annual Bill | Welcome Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinergy | Summer PAYG Plan 24h (10% discount, €110 welcome credit) | 37.59 c/kWh | €283.47/year | €1862 | €110 |
| PrePayPower | Classic Pay Standard 24h (€100 welcome credit) | 37.62 c/kWh | €342.69/year + €131.29/yr prepayment service charge | €1923 | €100 |
Electric Ireland, Bord Gáis Energy, Energia and SSE Airtricity also offer pay-as-you-go through smart meters, usually at or near their standard rather than discounted rates, so they are rarely the cheapest way to prepay. If you can move to a direct-debit plan, the switching discounts in the main table are worth €200 to €500 a year for most homes. See the Pinergy vs PrePayPower comparison for the full breakdown.
How to Actually Find the Cheapest Electricity for You
- Find your annual usage in kWh. It is on any recent bill, or in your ESB Networks online account. A typical urban home uses about 4,200 kWh/year; rural homes and homes with electric heating or an EV use far more.
- Compare the discounted rate, not the standard rate. Most suppliers offer 20 to 40% off for new customers in year one. That discount is what makes one supplier cheapest, but it expires after 12 months.
- Check the standing charge. Low-usage homes are hit hardest by a high standing charge (€250–€400/year is typical). A cheap unit rate with a high standing charge can still lose to a higher rate with a low standing charge.
- Match the tariff to your usage pattern. If you have a smart meter, a day/night/peak tariff can be cheaper if you shift usage to night hours; if not, a flat 24-hour rate is simpler.
- Set a reminder to switch again in 11 months. The cheapest deal in Ireland is almost always "whoever is currently giving the biggest new-customer discount". Switching annually is the single biggest lever on your bill.
If You Have Solar Panels, "Cheapest" Means Something Different
For a solar household, the unit (import) rate matters less, because you are buying less electricity from the grid. What matters more is the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) rate, the price your supplier pays for the surplus you export. The gap between the highest and lowest CEG rate in Ireland is nearly 10 c/kWh, which on a typical system is worth €150–€350 a year. A supplier with a slightly higher unit rate but a much higher export rate can be the cheaper overall choice once you net the two off.
See our electricity provider comparison for solar owners and our microgeneration guide for the full picture.
Irish Electricity Price Changes 2026
Every announced change we have verified on the supplier's own site, newest first, with the date it takes effect. The rates on this page were last verified on 12 Sep 2026 and show the current price until each change lands.
- Energia
Electricity and gas prices rise by up to 9.4%. The new-customer 24-hour rate we track goes from 29.85c to 30.45c/kWh and the urban standing charge from €265.01 to €278.27. source
- Bord Gáis Energy
Electricity rises around 9% (typical bill +8.8%). New-customer 24-hour rate 30.78c to 33.58c/kWh; urban standing charge €244.76 to €262.38. source
- SSE Airtricity
Electricity rises around 9%. Top Discount 24-hour rate 28.79c to 31.50c/kWh; urban standing charge €263.86 to €280.01. source
- All suppliers
CRU-approved 2026/27 network charges add about €41.25 a year (€3.44 a month) to a typical domestic electricity bill after the regulator trimmed network revenue allowances by €138 million. Every supplier passes these charges through. source
- All suppliers
PSO levy cut by 66% for the 2026/27 levy year, to €0.51 a month for domestic customers (€6.12 a year ex-VAT, €6.67 inc VAT, down from €19.10). It is charged by every supplier, so it lowers every bill by the same amount. source
- Pinergy
Pinergy says a typical bill rises 7.6%. The 24-hour standard rate goes from 41.77c to 45.80c/kWh (up 9.6% on the unit rate) with the standing charge unchanged. The pay-as-you-go plan we track is priced at 10% off that standard rate. source
- Pinergy
Clean Export Guarantee cut from 25c to 18.5c/kWh, and the EV night rate rose from 5.99c to 10.89c/kWh. source
- Flogas
Electricity and gas rates increased. The standard 24-hour rate is now 44.00c/kWh and Flogas lists no new-customer discount plan; the 28% loyalty discount is for existing customers only. source
- Electric Ireland
Residential electricity up 8% and gas up 7.7%, the first Electric Ireland rise since October 2022, affecting about 1.1 million electricity customers. The EnergySaver 24-hour new-customer rate we track is 31.95c/kWh after the change. source
- Yuno Energy
Electricity up 9.5% and gas up 11%. The Clean Export Guarantee rate rose from 15.89c to 17.16c/kWh (31.32c on the PV Generation partnership tier). source
Full details of each rise, with before-and-after rates, are on the electricity price increases page. The underlying market is tracked daily on the wholesale electricity prices page. No universal energy credit is planned for Budget 2027 on 6 October: see what support exists instead.
Tariff leaderboards
The same supplier data, ranked for a different question. Pick the one that matches how your home uses electricity.
Cheapest Electricity in Ireland
Every supplier's 24-hour new-customer plan ranked by annual bill.
You are here
Best Suppliers for Solar
Clean Export Guarantee rates ranked, with payment cadence and terms.
Best EV Tariffs
Night-rate EV plans ranked by unit rate, window and cost per 100 km.
Best Tariffs for Heat Pumps
Night-rate and flat plans costed at 8,000 kWh a year.
Best Tariffs for Home Batteries
Day-to-night spread ranked, plus what a 5 or 10 kWh battery earns.
Cheapest Electricity in Ireland: Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the cheapest electricity supplier in Ireland right now?
On the new-customer 24-hour plans we track, SSE Airtricity is cheapest for a typical 4,200 kWh home at about €1473 a year, followed by Energia at €1519. The answer changes with the new-customer discounts in market at any given time and with your usage. The cheapest first-year deal is usually the supplier offering the biggest discount (often 20 to 40% off). Always compare the discounted unit rate plus standing charge for your own kWh usage before switching.
Who is the cheapest pay as you go electricity supplier in Ireland?
Pinergy is the cheaper of the two dedicated prepay suppliers for a typical home, at about €1862 a year against €1923 for PrePayPower, before welcome credit. PrePayPower also charges a €131.29 a year prepayment service charge on top of its standing charge. Both cost more than the discounted direct-debit plans from the big suppliers.
Why does the cheapest deal keep changing?
Irish suppliers compete on new-customer discounts that last 12 months. Whoever is most aggressive on that discount tends to be cheapest for switchers, and that changes month to month. After the discount period, your rate reverts to standard pricing, which is why switching annually saves the most.
Is it worth switching electricity supplier every year?
Usually yes. The discount difference between a year-one switcher rate and a standard out-of-contract rate is often €200 to €500 a year for a typical home. Switching takes 2 to 14 days, you don't lose power, and there's normally no exit fee on standard plans.
Does the cheapest unit rate mean the cheapest bill?
Not necessarily. Your bill is unit rate × usage + standing charge + VAT. A low unit rate paired with a high standing charge can cost more than a higher rate with a low standing charge, especially for low-usage homes. Always compare the estimated total annual cost.
Do solar panels change which supplier is cheapest?
Yes. With solar you import less, so the unit rate matters less and the Clean Export Guarantee rate matters more. A supplier with a modest unit rate but a high export rate can be the cheapest overall for a solar home. Compare both figures together.
Who is the most expensive electricity supplier in Ireland?
On the new-customer 24-hour plans we track, Flogas has the highest estimated annual bill at €2154 for 4,200 kWh, against €1473 for the cheapest (SSE Airtricity). The most expensive way to buy electricity from any supplier is to sit on a standard out-of-contract rate after a discount expires: those run at roughly 38 to 45 c/kWh across the market, 20 to 30% above the switching rates in the table.
Is Electric Ireland cheaper than Bord Gáis Energy?
Right now the Bord Gáis Energy new-customer 24-hour rate (30.78 c/kWh) is a little below the Electric Ireland EnergySaver rate (31.95 c/kWh), although Electric Ireland adds a €60 welcome credit that closes most of the gap at typical usage. From 9 Oct 2026 Bord Gáis rises to 33.58 c/kWh, which makes Electric Ireland the cheaper of the two for new customers unless it announces its own increase. Both pay the same or similar Clean Export Guarantee rates for solar exports. See the full Bord Gáis vs Electric Ireland comparison.
Where can I officially compare electricity prices in Ireland?
The CRU (Commission for Regulation of Utilities) accredits independent price-comparison websites. Use one of those alongside this page: they price every plan against your exact usage, while our table tracks the headline new-customer plan of each supplier and is refreshed with every announced price change.
Sources
- Pinergy: pinergy.ie
- SSE Airtricity: sseairtricity.com
- Electric Ireland: electricireland.ie
- Bord Gáis Energy: bordgaisenergy.ie
- Energia: energia.ie
- Flogas: flogas.ie
- Yuno Energy: yunoenergy.ie
- PrePayPower: prepaypower.ie
- EcoPower: ecopower.ie
- Community Power: communitypower.ie
- CRU price comparison accreditation: cru.ie
CEG export rates last verified: 12 September 2026. Import rates last verified: 2026-09-12. New-customer discount rates change often, so confirm live prices on the supplier's own site before switching.
Fact-checked by John Rooney, Solar Energy Editor. Editorial policy
John Rooney is the editor of Solar Info and has been covering the Irish solar energy market since 2023. He fact-checks all content against official SEAI data and maintains relationships with SEAI-registered installers across Ireland.
Related Guides
Electricity Price Comparison
Every supplier priced on your usage, with bill and smart meter upload and a solar what-if.
Average Electricity Bill
What a typical Irish home pays per year, per month and per kWh in 2026.
Electricity Price Increases
Every announced Irish supplier price rise: dates, new rates and what a typical home pays extra.
How to Switch Supplier
Step-by-step switching guide, including what changes for solar homes.
Cut Your Bill at the Source: Add Solar
Switching supplier shaves a bit off your bill. Generating your own electricity shaves a lot more. Get free quotes from SEAI-registered installers in your area.