Understanding Your Utility Bills: Electricity and Gas
A utility bill refers to any home service that is deemed essential including electricity, gas, water, waste collection and even extending to internet and phone. In Ireland, the most common utility bills are for electricity and gas and are normally charged every two months. If you are having issues with your electricity or gas bills, we recommend you contact your energy supplier and failing this, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, who can mediate on your behalf.
What Is a Utility Bill in Ireland?
Generally speaking, a utility bill is definded as any home service that is deemed essential including:
- Electricity
- Gas
- Waste collection
- TV
- Internet
- Phone plans
Electricity and gas are the most common expenses in most Irish households and add significantly to the cost of living.
Several factors influence the cost of your electricity and gas bills including:
- If you live in an urban or rural location
- Your monthly and annual energy consumption
- The size of your home
- The type of meter you have
- Your unit price cost
Understanding the terms and vocabulary of your electricity and gas bill are essential to helping you save money on your home utilities.
In the following sections, we will breakdown and explain the common terms you will see on these bills and help you better understand how you can save money on your utility bills.
How Can I Understand My Electricity Bill?
Electricity companies tend to follow a standard temple for their electricity bills and most will look like this with the most important sections highlighted:
Your electricity bill will make up the bulk of your energy bill since electricity is more expensive than gas.
In addition to the above terms, you'll also find other common electricity terms that appear on your electricity bill in the table below, along with their explanations to help you better read your next bill:
| Bill Item | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Account number | This is the number for your personal account with your supplier and you should have it to hand when you need to contact them regarding any issues. |
| Supply address | The address for the property where the electricity being billed is being used. |
| Billing address | The address for billing purposes (may be different to supply address in the case of landlords for example). |
| MPRN | Meter Point Reference Number indicates the point at which your house is connected to the electricity network. As such, if you move home this will change. |
| DG | This indicates your Distribution Use of System (DUoS) profile, a charge that your supplier pays to the distribution network (ESB) on your behalf. DG1 indicates you have been assigned an urban domestic profile, and DG2 a rural one. |
| MC/MCC | Stands for your Meter Configuration Code which indicates which type of meter you have. |
| Date of issue | This is the date that the bill was issued on, not the date of receipt or the billing period. |
| Invoice number | If there are any issues with a particular bill you’ll need to quote this number when discussing it with your supplier. |
| Billing period | Usually 30 or 60 days. |
| Reading Type | A, C or E. A means it was read by ESB, C means that the customer gave the meter reading, and E means it is an estimated reading. |
| Payments | This is a summary of all the payments you made previously. |
| Balance brought forward | Credit or debit from the previous bill. |
| Charges for this period | This contains a breakdown of your billing charges. |
| Pay by | The date the bill is due. Normally payment is due within 14 days but for accounts in debit it’s normally due immediately. |
| Remittance advice/Giro slip | To facilitate payment when the bills are not settled by direct debit. |
| Price plan | The name of the plan you are on. |
| Meter readings | The meter reading the current bill is based on and the previous bill’s reading. |
| Unit usage | How many units of electricity you have used up. Energy units are measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). |
| Unit price | The rate your units are charged at. Unit usage multiplied by unit price will give you the total amount for your electricity usage before other charges are applied. If you are on a Nightsaver tariff, you will have two different unit prices for electricity. |
| Standing charge | A fixed charge you pay to your supplier consisting of distribution network charges and the cost of the supplier for your account. |
| PSO levy | The PSO levy is a fixed government levy set by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities which pays for researching and generating renewable energy. |
| VAT | The Value Added Tax for energy in Ireland is set at 9%.until October 2024. |
| Carbon Emissions | This tells you how many kilos of carbon were produced by your household within the billing period. |
| Fuel Mix | Displays the sources your supplier uses in order to generate electricity. |
| Cooling Off Period | Your cooling off period is the 14 days that you have before your tariff starts after you initially sign up. During your cooling off period, you're able to cancel your contract without needing to pay any exit fees. |
How Is My Electricity Bill Calculated?
Electricity bills are typically issued every two months. The following formula can help you calculate your electricity bill to find the price of your electricity:
- Obtain Electricity Usage
The average household consumes 4,200 kWh of electricity every two months. Multiply this number by your electricity unit rate. - Find Your Standing Charge
You will usually find your annual standing charge already offered to you by your provider so you will just need to double check what that is. - Add Them All Up
Add all of the above products and quotients together. This will give you the amount of your electricity bill for the year.
Electricity Bill Example Here is an example for an urban household that consumes 4,200 kWh of electricity per year using Electric Ireland's standard rate tariff, €0.3583 per kWh and the standing charge is €250.77 per year.
4,200 kWh x €0.3583 unit rate = €1,504.86 annual consumption
Then you need add the consumption to the annual standing charge of €250.77, meaning your annual electricity bill will look like this:
€1,504.86 annual consumption + €250.77 standing charge = €1,755.63 total annual bill
Last updated: October 2024
If you feel that your electrcity bills are too high, check out our guide to lowering your bills and saving money.
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How Do I Understand My Gas Bill?
Your gas bill contains a lot of similar information to your electricity bill, generally you can expect to find the following on it.
| Utility Bill Item | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Account number | Your unique identifier. Having this to hand will make calling customer support go more smoothly. |
| Supply address | The address for the property at which the gas is being used. |
| Billing address | If different to the supply address. |
| GPRN | Gas Point Reference Number (GPRN) indicates the point at which your house is connected to the gas network. As such, if you move home this will change. |
| AC Band | Stands for Annual Consumption, and is represented by a letter indicating which estimated consumption bracket your household falls into. A less than 6500 kWh B 6000 kWh - 23,500 kWh C 23,000 kWh - 73,000 kWh Y 73,000 kWh - 750 MWh Z 750 MWh - 5,500 MWh |
| Meter number | This is the number for the meter you currently have installed and will change if you get a new meter. |
| Date of issue | This is the date that the gas bill was sent out. |
| Invoice number | This is an identifier to be able to tell one bill from another. |
| Billing period | This will show the dates within which the unit rates were consumed that are being charged on the bill in question. |
| Reading Type | This shows whether the reading was carried out by a professional (A), the customer (C), or whether it is an estimate (E) based on information about the home and historical usage data. |
| Payments | This will show how the customer has agreed to pay the bills, and previous payments made. |
| Balance brought forward | This will show whether your account is in credit or debit. |
| Charges for this period | This details all the different charges that make up this specific bill. |
| Pay by | The deadline that you need to pay by to avoid any penalties. |
| Remittance advice/Giro slip | A section of the paper bill that lets you pay at the bank, or in some cases, at the post office. |
| Price plan | The name of the price plan you are currently on with this supplier. |
| Meter readings | The reading the current bill is based on, and the previous bill’s reading. |
| Unit usage | The amount of gas units consumed. Gas units are measured by cubic metres (m3). |
| Conversion Factor | The factor used to convert your units from m3 to kWh. |
| kWh | The amount of gas kilowatts you are being billed for. |
| Rate | Which unit rate you are being charged at (this is multiplied by the kWh to make up the total charge for energy consumed). |
| Standing Charge | A charge your supplier adds to your bill to cover transmission and distribution charges. It is normally higher for rural customers. |
| VAT | The Irish government has set VAT at 9% for gas. |
| Carbon Tax | A carbon tax is a tax applied to gas, oil, and solid fuels. It is 0.01104 cent/kWh including VAT. |
| Carbon Emissions | The quantity of carbon produced by the consumption of gas in your household. |
| Fuel Mix | Where your supplier has sourced their gas from. |
How Is Gas Bill Calculated?
Calculating your gas bill is similar to calculating your electricity bill. Gas bills are usually issued every two months and useful for comparing different gas prices.
In recent years, it's been especially important to keep track of your gas prices given the volatility in the market. We break down how to calculate it below:
- Obtain Your Gas Usage
The average gas usage is 11,000kWh per year. Multiply this by the unit rate. - Include the Carbon Tax
Multiply the carbon tax (which is currently .808 cents/kWh) by your gas usage. - Add Your Standing Charge
Like the electricity standing charge, you'll be provided by your gas standing charge when you take out a tariff. You'll be able to find it on your bill too. - Add it All Together
Add all of the above products and quotients together. This will give you the amount of your gas bill.
Gas Bill Example We show an example below for an urban household that consumes 11,000 kWh of gas per year. On Electric Ireland's standard tariff, the unit rate is €0.1200 per kWh and the standing charge is €155.96 per year.
11,000 kWh x €0.1200 unit rate = €1,320 annual consumption
Then you need add the consumption to the annual standing charge of €155.96 as well as the and the carbon tax, meaning your annual electricity bill will look like this:
€1,320 annual consumption + €155.96 standing charge + Carbon Tax = €1,476 total annual bill
Last updated: October 2024
Why Is My Utility Bill Unusually High?
Consider the following issues before contacting your supplier if you think your utility bill is excessively high.
- Season
Heating your home is much more expensive in the winter. Similarly, if the summer is unusually warm and you have the air-conditioning running, or fans on in every room, this can also contribute to a higher utility bill. - Household Improvements
Have you had any renovations or extension-work carried out at your home during the past billing period? The contractors and the electricity they need for the work to be carried out can increase your utility bill. - Rate Increase
If you’re on a variable tariff, it’s possible that your tariff unit rate has gone up. Even if you're not on a variable tariff, there have been changes to government levies, such as the carbon tax. - Discount Period Ended
It could also be that if you previously switched provider to avail of a discount, your discounted period has ended and you have been put on to the standard unit rate with no discount. You can try to renegotiate a new discounted contract with your provider or switch to a cheaper electricity or gas offer. - Additional People
If you’ve had visitors staying at your home, or if more people have been at home during the day due to illness or holidays, all those extra showers and increased hours of electricity and heating usage will add up. - Moving Home
If you have recently moved home, your new house may not be as energy efficient as your old one, or it may be larger in size. In particular, have a look at your home-heating and hot water elements (radiators, boiler, immersion, etc.) to see what might be causing the increase. - Estimated Bills
If your utility bill is very large and was estimated, it’s possible that your usage was overestimated and that you have been charged more than you should have been.
Selectra's Electricity Meter Tip
"Avoid overpaying on estimated bills by installing a smart meter for accurate meter readings. If you are still waiting for a smart meter to be installed, contact ESB services to arrange for one to be installed"
What If I Can’t Pay My Energy Bills?
Paying for our home’s electricity and gas can at the best of times bring financial pressures to many households, let alone in recent years when unprecedented world events have seen the price of gas rise significantly both in Ireland and in Europe.
However, if you find yourself dealing with the cost of living and struggling to manage your energy bills, there are steps you can take to try and manage the situation.
Talk To Your Supplier
While it might feel like surrendering to the enemy, you are a customer of your energy supplier and the last thing they want to do is lose a customer, and receive any negative reviews that may come with it.
If you find you are struggling to pay your bills, contact your energy supplier's customer service centre and explain your situation to them.
The CRU (Commission for Regulation of Utilities is the regulatory body for energy suppliers in Ireland and requires that they:
- Assist customers who are in genuine financial difficulty with their energy bills.
- Have trained staff who can speak to customers about problems they are having keeping up with their energy bills.
- Offer customers an alternative payment method, or spread out their energy costs to ease the financial burden their bills are placing them under.
- Adhere to the Energy Engage Code, whereby suppliers promise to never disconnect a customer, but rather actively work with them to find a practical solution.
Social Welfare Supports
The government through the Department of Social Protection offers a range of supports for those on low income that may be struggling with their home energy bills.
- Household Benefits Package - Only available to those over 70 years of age, this is a non means tested financial support aimed at helping people struggling to pay home energy bills. €35 is paid directly into your bank account once per month.
- Additional Needs Payment - Another means tested financial support for individuals struggling to pay for essential services such as home energy bills. This is a means tested payment and the amount you receive is dependent on factors such as your weekly income.
How Can I Save Money on My Utility Bills?
If you feel you're paying too much on your average electricity and gas bills, switching supplier could be the answer to lowering your home energy bills.
The CRU recommends customers switch their electricity and gas providers around once a year in order to get the cheapest electricity provider and the best deal.
- ⚡ Benefits of Switching Energy Supplier
- Comapre the market and save money
- Help with the cost of living
- Try PAYG electricity and see if it works better for your budget.
- Avail of discounts and introductory offers for new customers
- Reduce your household bills
- Avoid being switched to a more expensive rate after 12 months
- Find a better energy company for customer service, online payments, etc.
- Take advantage of your 14-day cooling-off period