Why Your Tariff Matters More With a Heat Pump

Unlike a gas boiler, a heat pump's entire running cost shows up on your electricity bill. Many heat pump systems - especially those with a hot water cylinder or thermal store - can be scheduled to run at night, when day/night and smart meter tariffs charge a much lower rate than during the day.

On a standard 24-hour meter, you pay the same unit rate whether you run your heat pump at 3pm or 3am. On a day/night or smart meter plan, shifting that usage to the cheap overnight window can meaningfully cut your bill - which is why most heat pump installers recommend switching meter type as part of the installation.

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Compare Live Day/Night and Smart Meter Rates

These are live plans currently on the market for a domestic urban household, filtered to day/night and smart meter tariffs - the meter types that suit a heat pump.

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Live day/night and smart meter electricity plans, cheapest first
Supplier Meter Type Plan Est. Annual Bill

Based on 4,200 kWh average annual usage, urban meter, VAT included.

What to Look for in a Heat Pump Plan

  • A wide gap between day and night rates: the bigger the difference, the more you save by shifting heat pump usage to the cheap window.
  • A night window that matches your heat pump's schedule: some smart meter plans add an extra ultra-cheap window (for example 2am-4am) aimed at EV charging or hot water heating - useful if your heat pump or immersion can be timed to run then.
  • Standing charges: smart meter plans sometimes carry a higher standing charge than a basic 24-hour plan, so compare the full annual bill, not just the unit rate.

Some suppliers, including Electric Ireland, publish plans specifically marketed at heat pump households with an extended cheap overnight window. Whether that beats a generic day/night or smart meter plan depends on your own usage pattern, so it's worth comparing the actual annual bill estimate above rather than the headline rate alone.

New electricity connections in Ireland are moved to smart meters as standard, and from June 2026 all suppliers are required to offer at least one dynamic pricing tariff - worth checking if you want your rate to track wholesale prices more closely. See our guide to dynamic tariffs for how that compares to a fixed day/night plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Not strictly - a heat pump works on any meter type. But a day/night or smart meter tariff usually gives you a much cheaper overnight rate, which can meaningfully reduce your running costs if your heat pump (or its hot water cylinder) can be scheduled to run at night.

It depends on how much of your heat pump usage you can shift to the cheap window and the gap between day and night rates on your specific plan. Compare the live estimated annual bills above for your usage rather than relying on the headline unit rate alone.

ESB Networks has been rolling out smart meters nationally at no cost as part of the National Smart Metering Programme. Contact your electricity supplier to check your eligibility and request the switch.

Further Reading