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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.
Generally speaking, a utility bill is definded as any home service that is deemed essential including:
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:
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.
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 costs since electricity is more expensive than gas.
Below you'll find some common electricity terms that appear on your electricity bill:
In the table below, we have broken down some of the most common terms to find on your electricity 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 2025. |
| 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. |
Electricity bills are typically issued every two months and are nowadays more frequently in papeless forms accesbile through your suppliers online login or app.
The following formula can help you calculate your electricity bill to find the price of your electricity:
Below you'll find a breakdown of how an electricity bill is calculated using the standard average consumption rate of 4,200 kWh.
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, €0.3475 per kWh and the standing charge is €250.77 per year.
4,200 kWh x €0.3475 unit rate = €1,459.50 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:
€1,459.50 annual consumption + €250.77 standing charge = €1,710.27 total annual bill
To estimate the your bi-monthly bill, divide your annual bill by 6
€1,710.27 ÷ 6 months = €285.
Last updated: January 2025
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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. |
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:
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 €0.1164 per kWh and the standing charge is €155.96 per year.
11,000 kWh x €0.1164 unit rate = €1,280 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:
€1,280 annual consumption + €155.96 standing charge + Carbon Tax = €1,435 total annual bill
To estimate the your bi-monthly bill, divide your annual bill by 6
€1,280.27 ÷ 6 months = €239.
Last updated: January 2025
Consider the following issues before contacting your supplier if you think your utility bill is excessively high.
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"
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 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.
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:
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.
Our dedicated grants and schemes guides contain all the information you need including eligibility requirements, grant amounts, and how to apply.
By reviewing and adjusting your energy consumption habits can help you save money on your utility bills.
Here are some ways to help keep on top of your 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.
The services and products mentioned on this website may only represent a small selection of the options available to you. Selectra encourages you to carry out your own research and seek advice if necessary before making any decisions. We may receive commission from selected partner providers on sales of some products and/or services mentioned within this website. Our website is free to use, and the commission we receive does not affect our opinion or the information we provide.
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