Cheapest Electricity in Ireland
The cheapest electricity supplier in Ireland right now is Electric Ireland at about €1,593 a year for a typical home (4,200 kWh) on its new-customer 24-hour plan, with SSE Airtricity (€1,603) and Energia (€1,630) close behind. Rates verified 28 October 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.
Import rates verified 28 October 2026. Export rates verified 4 November 2026.
Fact-checked by John Rooney, Solar Energy Editor. Editorial policy
Quick Answer
Electric Ireland is the cheapest electricity supplier in Ireland for a typical home right now, at about €1,593 a year on its new-customer plan (31.95 c/kWh plus a €250.77/year standing charge). The cheapest supplier changes often because of switching discounts (10 to 30% off in year one on the plans we track). 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.
Find the cheapest plan for your usage
Rates verified 28 Oct 2026- €1,483year 1
- Unit rate
- 29.18 c
- Standing
- €251
Unit rate blended on your usage. - €1,542year 1
- Unit rate
- 31.30 c
- Standing
- €251
Unit rate blended on your usage.Standing charge is less €30 credit. - €1,547year 1
- Unit rate
- 30.06 c
- Standing
- €278
Unit rate blended on your usage. - Electricity Top Discount Smart (13% direct debit + 7% online + 10% plan)Day 33.81 / Night 20.56 / Peak 37.88 c/kWh€1,549year 1
- Unit rate
- 30.06 c
- Standing
- €280
Unit rate blended on your usage. - Smart Data and Discount (13% + 6% direct debit + 4% online billing)Day 33.41 / Night 22.83 / Peak 38.25 c/kWh€1,570year 1
- Unit rate
- 30.59 c
- Standing
- €278
Unit rate blended on your usage.
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 and excluding the PSO levy, 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 on the discounted plans we track is 11 to 43% higher.
| # | Supplier | Unit Rate | Standing Charge | Est. Annual Bill (excl. PSO) | CEG Export Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electric Ireland | 31.95 c/kWh | €250.77/year | €1,593 | 19.50 c/kWh |
| 2 | SSE Airtricity | 31.50 c/kWh | €279.99/year | €1,603 | 19.50 c/kWh |
| 3 | Energia | 32.19 c/kWh | €278.27/year | €1,630 | 18.50 c/kWh |
| 4 | Bord Gáis Energy | 32.67 c/kWh | €262.38/year | €1,635 | 18.50 c/kWh |
| 5 | Yuno Energy | 39.10 c/kWh | €264.73/year | €1,907 | 17.16 c/kWh |
| 6 | PrePayPower | 37.62 c/kWh | €342.69/year | €1,923 | 15.89 c/kWh |
| 7 | Community Power | 39.96 c/kWh | €302.01/year | €1,980 | Not published |
| 8 | Pinergy | 41.22 c/kWh | €283.47/year | €2,015 | 18.50 c/kWh |
| 9 | EcoPower | 42.20 c/kWh | €302.37/year | €2,075 | 15.20 c/kWh |
| 10 | Flogas | 44.00 c/kWh | €305.68/year | €2,154 | 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, Electric Ireland has the lowest at €250.77/year and PrePayPower the highest at €342.69/year, a gap of €92 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, PrePayPower is cheaper for a typical home at about €1,923 a year before welcome credit, against €2,015 for Pinergy.
| Supplier | Plan | Unit Rate | Standing Charge | Est. Annual Bill | Welcome Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PrePayPower | Classic Pay Standard 24h (€100 welcome credit) | 37.62 c/kWh | €342.69/year + €131.29/yr prepayment service charge | €1,923 | €100 |
| Pinergy | Autumn PAYG Plan 24h (10% discount, €110 credit) | 41.22 c/kWh | €283.47/year | €2,015 | €110 |
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. The suppliers we track offer 10 to 30% 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. See unit rates and standing charges for every supplier.
- 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. If you charge an electric car at home, compare the dedicated EV electricity tariffs instead: the cheapest 24-hour plan is rarely the cheapest once overnight charging is counted.
- 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 (19.50 c/kWh) and lowest (15.20 c/kWh) standard CEG rate in Ireland is 4.3 c/kWh, which on a typical system exporting 2,000 kWh is worth roughly €90 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 28 Oct 2026 and show the current price until each change lands.
- Yuno Energy
New-customer Variable Discount Plan repriced. The 24-hour urban rate went from 34.85c to 39.10c/kWh and the urban standing charge from €219.22 to €264.73; Variable Smart became 41.39c day, 26.08c night, 47.65c peak. Yuno's EV Standard Smart plan closed to new customers on 16 October, and Yuno's pricing page says a winter price freeze on electricity and gas runs from 13 October 2026 to 1 March 2027. source
- Energia
Electricity unit rates rose 4.73% and gas 9.38%. The standard 24-hour rate went to 43.50c/kWh and the urban standing charge from €265.01 to €278.27. With the combined new-customer discount now 26% (it was 30%), the 24-hour rate we track went from 29.85c to 32.19c/kWh. The EV Smart Drive charge-time rate rose to 12.25c/kWh after the 10% discount. source
- Bord Gáis Energy
Electricity unit rates up 9.1% and standing charges up 7.2% (typical bill +8.8%). Standard 24-hour rate 41.59c to 45.38c/kWh; urban standing charge €244.76 to €262.38. The new-customer discount is now 28% (it was 26%), so the 24-hour rate we track went from 30.78c to 32.67c/kWh. source
- SSE Airtricity
Electricity rose around 9%: the standard 24-hour rate went from 41.13c to 45.00c/kWh. Top Discount 24-hour rate 28.79c to 31.50c/kWh; urban standing charge €263.86 to €279.99. source
- All suppliers
CRU-approved 2026/27 network charges added 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 lowered every bill by the same amount. source
- Pinergy
Pinergy said a typical bill would rise 7.6%. The 24-hour standard rate went 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
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. Budget 2027 on 6 October contained no universal energy credit: 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.
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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, Electric Ireland is cheapest for a typical 4,200 kWh home at about €1,593 a year, followed by SSE Airtricity at €1,603. 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 (10 to 30% off on the plans we track). 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?
PrePayPower is the cheaper of the two dedicated prepay suppliers for a typical home, at about €1,923 a year against €2,015 for Pinergy, 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 €2,154 for 4,200 kWh, against €1,593 for the cheapest (Electric Ireland). The most expensive way to buy electricity from any supplier is to sit on a standard out-of-contract rate after a discount expires: on the discounted plans we track those run at 38.04 to 45.80 c/kWh, 11 to 43% above the switching rates in the table.
Is Electric Ireland cheaper than Bord Gáis Energy?
For new customers on a 24-hour meter, Electric Ireland (31.95 c/kWh) is currently a little cheaper per unit than Bord Gáis Energy (32.67 c/kWh), with standing charges of €250.77/year and €262.38/year respectively. Both rates include the October 2026 price changes. 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: 4 November 2026. Import rates last verified: 28 October 2026. 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.
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