What Are Standing Charges for Electricity in Ireland?

By Cormac Breen

Content Manager

Cormac is Selectra.ie's energy expert along with being the chief content and editorial manager for the website. His aim is to help find the best deal for you and your home energy needs so that you save money on your annual bills. His knowledge and experience of the Irish energy market allows him to offer the best advice and insight into current prices, emerging trends and overall energy saving tips.

An electricity standing charge is a fixed daily fee on your energy bill in Ireland, separate from the cost of the electricity you actually consume. It is a non-negotiable charge that covers the essential maintenance and upkeep of the national electricity network. This fixed cost is subject to VAT and varies based on your location (urban or rural), your electricity supplier, and the type of meter you have. The average standing charge for an urban, 24-hour meter is currently €266.07 per year (including VAT), which works out to approximately €0.73 per day.

What Is an Electricity Standing Charge?

An electricity standing charge is a fixed daily fee on your bill, separate from your energy usage.

In essence, it is a type of 'rental fee' charged by your electricity supplier so that your home can access the electricity network.

While your electricity supplier collects the standing charge, it is then used to pay the ESB for network maintenance operations, including:

• Infrastructure upkeep
• Grid connection
• Meter readings
• Administrative expenses

It is important to know that the vast majority of the standing charge covers regulated network costs. These costs are determined by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), Ireland's independent energy regulator, and are designed to fund the maintenance of the transmission and distribution networks run by ESB Networks and EirGrid. 

Your individual supplier then adds a smaller portion for their own administrative and commercial costs. This regulatory oversight is why the standing charges are structured as fixed fees and why they vary based on your meter and location (urban/rural).

How Much Are Electricity Standing Charges?

Standing charges are a fixed cost and are not influenced by your electricity consumption. They are advertised as a yearly amount but are broken down into six payments across your bi-monthly electricity bills.

While an electricity standing charge is a fixed fee, the amount one customer pays can differ from another's depending on factors such as:

• Location (Urban vs. Rural):
  Rural customers often face higher standing charges due to the increased costs of maintaining infrastructure in less densely populated areas.
• Meter Type:
  Different electricity meters, such as 24hr meters, and night saver meters, have different costs and will vary from supplier to supplier.
• Supplier Variations:
  Different electricity suppliers will charge different amounts, and therefore it is always recommended to compare the cost of standing charges when switching supplier and not just their unit rates.

To calculate your daily standing charge, simply divide the annual advertised rate by 365. For example, if your annual standing charge is €250, your daily charge is €0.68 (or 68 cent).

On your bi-monthly bill, this daily rate will be multiplied by the number of days in that billing cycle (typically 59 to 61 days) to give the total standing charge for that period.

Energy

Looking for an Electricity Supplier with a Cheaper Standing Charge?

Call us at Selectra and speak to one of our switching experts who will help you find the best deal on electricity!

(01) 913 1771 Schedule a Free Call

Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm

Selectra Service

Energy

Looking for an Electricity Supplier with a Cheaper Standing Charge?

We're currently closed but please leave us your number and we'll give you a free call as soon as we're open!

Not Open? Click Here to Schedule a Free Call

Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm

Selectra Service

Which Supplier Has the Cheapest Electricity Standing Charge?

Yuno Energy has the cheapest electricity standing charge with their urban, 24hr standing charge costing €219.22.

It's important not to only look at the standing charge of a supplier when switching electricity suppliers and instead focus on all variables, including:

• Unit rates
• Cashback offer
• Online reviews
• Payment methods

Below you'll find a full breakdown of the standing charges prices per supplier:

⚡ Compare Standing Charges for Electricity Ireland

Supplier	Meter Type	Urban	Rural
	24hr	€263.86	€331.20
	Night Saver	€338.98	€412.82
	Smart	€263.86	€331.20
	24hr	€265.01	€337.02
	Night Saver	€331.97	€422.31
	Smart	€265.01	€337.02
	24hr	€250.76	€314.94
	Night Saver	€328.54	€400.48
	Smart	€250.76	€314.94
	24hr	€219.22	€278.90
	Night Saver	€247.94	€335.83
	Smart	€235.77	€296.40
	24hr	€257.37	€313.86
	Night Saver	€331.29	€422.20
	Smart	€237.20	€289.32
	24hr	€244.77	€307.26
	Night Saver	€321.84	€398.75
	Smart	€244.77	€307.26
	24hr	€302.37	€334.19
	Night Saver	€302.37	€334.19
	Smart	€302.37	€334.19
	24hr	€238.71	€278.50
	Night Saver	€238.71	€278.50
	Smart	€238.71	€278.50
	24hr	€258.60	€334.19
	Night Saver	€258.60	€334.19
	Smart	€258.60	€334.19
	24hr	€342.67	€447.82
	Night Saver	€456.29	€538.57
	Smart	€342.67	€447.82
	24hr	€283.47	€313.78
	Night Saver	€308.93	€382.37
	Smart	€283.47	€283.47
Call Selectra to Switch Energy Supplier Today! (01) 913 1771 Schedule a Free Call with Selectra! Schedule a Free Call

*Figures are for illustrative purposes only and include VAT.
Last updated: October 2025

When choosing an electricity plan, the standing charge must be considered alongside the unit rate (the price per kWh), as they are often inversely related.

• If you are a low-use customer (e.g., a small apartment or a holiday home), you should generally prioritize a plan with the lowest possible standing charge. Since your overall consumption is low, minimizing the fixed daily fee will lead to the greatest annual saving, even if the unit rate is slightly higher.
• If you are a high-use customer (e.g., a large family home with an electric shower and EV), you should prioritise a plan with the lowest possible unit rate (kWh price). Your high consumption means the small difference in the unit rate will outweigh the fixed standing charge difference over the course of a year.

Do Smart Meters Have Electricity Standing Charges?

Smart meters also have standing charges, but these are typically less expensive than those for a 24hr meter or night saver meter.

There are a number of reasons why smart meter standing charges are often cheaper:

• Reduced Manual Meter Readings:
  Traditional meters require manual readings, which involve ESB workers visiting each property.
  Smart meters, on the other hand, transmit readings automatically, eliminating the need for these manual visits, thus lowering operational expenses for energy suppliers.
• More Accurate Billing:
  Smart meters provide precise, real-time data on energy consumption, and eliminate the need for estimated bills.
  This accuracy streamlines billing processes and reduces the administrative overhead associated with correcting billing errors.
• Time-of-Use Tariffs:
  Smart tariffs incentivize customers to use power at off-peak times. This helps to balance the load on the power grid. This balancing of the power grid reduces costs for the network as a whole.

Where Do I Find Electricity Standing Charges on my Bill?

Typically, the standing charge is listed as a separate line item, often found within the detailed breakdown of your charges. It's usually shown after the section detailing your electricity usage (kWh).

You'll normally see it presented as a daily rate, and then that daily rate multiplied by the number of days in your billing cycle.

The graphic below shows the standing charge as part of the calculation section, which is the same for most suppliers:

If you have an online account with your electricity provider, you can regularly find a detailed breakdown of your bill, which will clearly show the standing charge.

Why Have Electricity Standing Charges Gone Up?

Electricity standing charges have been increasing for a number of reasons, particularly in Ireland.

These charges cover the operational costs of providing electricity and maintaining the network, regardless of how much power you consume.

Here's a breakdown of the key factors:

• Infrastructure Upkeep: A significant portion of the standing charge goes towards the building, maintenance, and operation of the vast electricity transmission and distribution networks that bring power to your home. This includes repairs, upgrades, and general upkeep to ensure a reliable and safe supply.
• Decarbonisation and Renewables Integration: Ireland is heavily investing in renewable energy sources like wind and solar to meet climate action targets. Integrating these variable sources into the grid requires substantial upgrades and modernisation of the network to balance supply and demand, and these costs are passed on to consumers.
• Dispersed Population: Ireland has a relatively spread-out population with many rural, one-off homes. This means that a disproportionately high investment is needed to maintain the electricity grid compared to more densely populated countries, putting upward pressure on standing charges. Rural customers often pay higher standing charges because it costs more to supply electricity to properties further from the main network.
• Data Centre Impact: The increasing demand from data centres in Ireland puts a strain on the electricity network, sometimes requiring high-cost emergency generation, which contributes to higher overall system costs.

Do I Have to Pay Standing Charges if I Have Solar Panels?

Yes, generally, you do have to pay standing charges even if you have solar panels.

Standing charges are designed to cover the fixed costs of maintaining and operating the electricity grid, regardless of how much electricity you consume from it.

Even with solar panels, you are still connected to the national grid.

This connection provides:

• Backup Power: When your solar panels aren't generating enough electricity (e.g., at night, on cloudy days, or during periods of high demand), you draw power from the grid.
• Exporting Excess Power: If your solar panels generate more electricity than you use, you can export the surplus back to the grid. The grid infrastructure is essential for this export to happen.
• Grid Stability: The grid provides the necessary stability and voltage regulation that your solar PV system relies on to function correctly and safely.
• Infrastructure Maintenance: The standing charge helps fund the upkeep of the poles, wires, substations, and other infrastructure that ensures electricity is available to you whenever you need it, and that your exported power can be distributed.
• Administrative Costs: Your energy supplier still incurs administrative costs for managing your account, billing, customer service, and meter reading (even if it's a smart meter that reads automatically).

By Cormac Breen

Content Manager

Cormac is Selectra.ie's energy expert along with being the chief content and editorial manager for the website. His aim is to help find the best deal for you and your home energy needs so that you save money on your annual bills. His knowledge and experience of the Irish energy market allows him to offer the best advice and insight into current prices, emerging trends and overall energy saving tips.