How Do I Compare Electricity Prices in Ireland?

By David Tait Reviewed by Cormac Breen

Editorial Manager

To compare electricity prices, you'll need to compare the unit price, standing charges and any additional extra taxes or levies. It's also important to take into consideration any discounts or cashback offers when comparing electricity prices. If you are looking to compare electricity providers, you can call 📞(01) 913 1771.

What Do I Need To Compare Electricity Prices?

With so many different energy providers offering different deals and prices, it can be difficult to compare electricity prices effectively without getting in a muddle.

In order to compare electricity prices in a way that gives you the best idea of what’s best for your home, when reading your bill, have a look at these figures:

1. Your Yearly Electricity Usage
   Everyone uses a different amount of electricity in their regular consumption, so you should know yours to get the most accurate quote possible. You’ll usually find your electricity usage on your bill, where it will state how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) you’ve used in a given period. If it’s monthly, simply multiply it by twelve to get the yearly figure.
2. Electricity Unit Rate
   Your electricity rate is how much you pay per kWh and is usually given in cents. This will be multiplied by the number of kWh you’ve used in your consumption to give how much you need to pay for your usage part of the bill.
3. Standing Charge
   The standing charge is one of your fixed charges that doesn’t change with how much or little you use. It’s usually for paying for having your electricity connected to your home and is given as a yearly figure.
4. PSO Levy
   The PSO levy is the Public Service Obligation levy. It is used to subsidise renewable and indigenous energy development in Ireland. Once a year, the government determines the PSO amount. It is currently set at €42.25 per year.
5. Carbon Tax
   The Carbon Tax is placed on all carbon emitting fuels and in 2025, the carbon tax is levied at €63.50 per tonne of CO₂ produced.
6. Valued-Added Tax (VAT)
   Energy customers also have to pay VAT on their electricity usage. This is currently set at 9% (although business customers will see a 13.5% tax). You will see electricity providers showing both prices with VAT and without.

How Do I Find My Electricity Tariff To Compare Electricity Prices?

When comparing electricity prices, it's important to know the type of tariff you have for your home, as different tariff types may have more than one unit rate:

1. 24 Hour Meter
   If you are on a standard 24-hour tariff, you will have just one unit rate on your bill.
2. Nightsaver or Night Storage
   If you are on a nightsaver tariff, you will need to divide between the day and the night unit rates. If you have a night storage rate, you will have a normal day rate (like the 24-hour rate) and a lower night rate:
3. Smart Meter Tariffs
   Smart meters tariffs will have three rates (T1, T2, and T3) usually with the following time frames:
   • Day rate (8 am to 5 pm & 7 pm to 11 pm)
   • Night rate (11 pm to 8 am)
   • Peak rate (5 pm to 7 pm)

How Do I Calculate My Electricity Usage To Compare Electricity Prices?

Once you know what type of tariff you are on, to compare electricity prices, you will then need to calculate your electricity usage.

This is really important since it’ll help you get a good idea of how much your bills will be with another provider when looking to switch from your current supplier.

You can find your electricity usage in the following ways:

1. Check Your Latest Bill
   Your electricity consumption will always be on your latest bill.
   
   Depending on the supplier, you will often have a number indicated the amount of electricity you consumed in the billing period and what you’ve consumed throughout the year. You need to have the consumption for 12 months to do a comparison.
2. Check Your Smart Meter
   If you have a smart meter, depending on the model, you should be able to see your monthly (or even yearly) consumption. You will need to push a few button to get to the consumption, but it should be possible to see it.

If you’ve just moved into your property, or you’re on a prepayment meter, you might not know what your annual consumption is.

In this case, you can use the average yearly consumption of Irish households to get an idea of what you might be using.

Here are the current average consumption figures for Ireland:

This will give you a figure to work with, but remember that energy consumption figures are usually very individual for each household, so you might use more or less than the average.

How Do I Find My Standing Charges To Compare Electricity Prices?

Along with charging for the electricity usage, energy companies also charge having the electricity connected to the grid, which is called the standing charge.

In Ireland, this is usually set as a yearly lump sum that can range from €200 to €300.

The standing charge is also part of the fixed costs, along with the PSO levy. The standing charge is added after you’ve worked out your electricity consumption cost.

How Can I Use the EAB to Compare Electricity Prices?

Your estimated annual bill needs to be worked out by combining everything from above so you get an idea of how much your electricity will cost you throughout a year.

Are There Resources for Comparing Electricity Prices?

Comparing electricity prices can be, at times, a little confusing or overwhelming with the variety of tariffs and discounts on offer from each supplier.

To help with the process, there are some resources to help consumers compare electricity prices:

• Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU): Responsible for regulating the energy market, their website contains useful guides for consumers looking to switch electricity providers.
• Individual Supplier Websites: All suppliers display their current offers and tariffs on their websites, along with estimated annual bills for each tariff.
• Selectra.ie: If you are still having issues comparing electricity providers, by calling us here at Selectra.ie, our energy experts can help you compare the market and find the best deal for you.