Beat the Price Increases and Save Money on Electricity in 2025
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There are a range of electricity plans available to Irish energy consumers, ranging from standard, 24hr plans to nightsaver and time-of-use electricity plans. Choosing the right electricity plan in Ireland can feel complex, given the variety of tariffs and meter technologies available. Our guide provides a clear, comprehensive breakdown of how the different plan types, billing structures, and meter systems work, helping you make an informed decision to control your energy costs. If you are looking to switch electricity provider, you can call 📞(01) 913 1771.
In the Irish market, electricity tariffs are broadly divided based on how the unit rate (kWh) is applied across a 24-hour period, which is heavily influenced by the type of meter installed.
The most common types of electricity plans available are:
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The Standard 24hr Plan is the most straightforward tariff:
| Features | Key Points |
|---|---|
| How it Works | You pay a single, flat unit rate for all electricity consumed, regardless of the time of day it is used. |
| Best For | Households with low overall consumption or those who cannot easily shift their high-use activities (like running a washing machine or charging an appliance) to off-peak hours. |
| Meter Type | Typically used with a standard, single-rate meter (Meter Configuration Code - MCC01). |
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The Nightsaver plan is the original time-of-use tariff in Ireland, designed to reward off-peak electricity use:
| Features | Key Points |
|---|---|
| How it Works | It uses a two-rate structure: a Day Rate and a significantly cheaper Night Rate |
| Best For | The discounted Night Rate usually applies for a nine-hour period, typically from 11 PM to 8 AM in winter and 12 AM to 9 AM in summer (adjusted for daylight savings). The Day Rate applies during the remaining 15 hours. |
| Meter Type | Households that use a large portion of their electricity (ideally 30-40% or more) during the night, such as those with storage heaters or a high reliance on timers. |
| Meter Type | Requires a Day/Night meter (MCC02). |
Compare Nightsaver Tariffs
Time of Use (ToU) tariffs, often referred to as Smart Tariffs in the Irish market, are made possible by the national rollout of smart meters.
These tariffs introduce three or more price bands, allowing for greater savings potential but also a greater risk of higher peak charges:
| Features | Key Points |
|---|---|
| How it Works | Electricity is charged at different rates depending on three key time bands: Day, Peak, and Night |
| Standard Smart Tariff (SST) Bands (Typical): |
|
| Best For | Customers with an active smart meter who can reliably shift high-consumption activities away from the 5 PM to 7 PM peak time. |
| Other Smart Options: | Many suppliers offer variations, such as the 'Night Boost' (an even cheaper rate for a 2-3 hour window in the early morning) or the 'Weekender' (free or heavily discounted electricity all day on Saturday or Sunday). |
Compare Smart Meter Tariffs
Pay as you go electricity plans provides the maximum level of cost control by removing the possibility of accumulating a large, unexpected bill:
| Features | Key Points |
|---|---|
| How it Works | A specialised prepayment meter is installed. The customer must top up their credit using a card, a physical top-up point, or a mobile app before the electricity can be used. |
| Best For | No monthly bills, no security deposit, and many suppliers offer budget management tools via an app. A small portion of each top-up is typically allocated to cover a daily Standing Charge and any outstanding debt or charges (like the PSO levy). |
| Meter Type | Households that prioritise budgeting and want to avoid debt, though the unit rate and standing charges can sometimes be higher than bill-pay options. |
These are essentially highly optimised Time of Use plans specifically designed for Electric Vehicle (EV) owners:
| Features | Key Points |
|---|---|
| How it Works | They offer an ultra-low unit rate during a specific overnight window (e.g., 2 AM to 5 AM) to incentivise charging the car when national grid demand is lowest. |
| Best For | EV owners who charge their vehicles primarily at home and can set their EV charger to operate during the deep off-peak hours. These plans still include Day and Peak rates for general home consumption. |
Looking for a Cheaper EV Electricity Plan?
While dynamic plans are not yet available to Irish energy customers, they represent the newest and most flexible type of tariff, reflecting real-time market prices.
Dynamic electricity tariffs are mandated to be available in the Irish market by June 1, 2026.
| Features | Key Points |
|---|---|
| How it Works | The price per kWh is not fixed but changes frequently, sometimes hourly or even half-hourly, based on the wholesale cost of electricity. This requires an active smart meter that sends half-hourly readings. |
| Best For | Tech-savvy users with flexible energy consumption who are willing to actively monitor and adjust their use throughout the day to take advantage of low-cost periods, which can sometimes be incredibly cheap or even negative (meaning you are paid to use electricity). |
How Do Dynamic Electricity Plans Work?
A Green Electricity Plan guarantees that the supplier matches the energy consumed by the customer with an equivalent amount of renewable energy generated and fed into the grid.
At present, the following suppliers offer green electricity plans:
| Features | Key Points |
|---|---|
| How it Works | The energy supplied to your home remains the same, but the supplier purchases electricity from certified renewable sources (wind, solar, etc.) to offset your usage. They are verified by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). |
| Best For | These plans may have slightly higher unit rates, though many standard discounted plans are now also certified as 100% green. |
Dual Fuel plans simplify household utilities by bundling both electricity and natural gas supply under a single provider and a single bill:
| Features | Key Points |
|---|---|
| How it Works | You receive one bill for both services and deal with one customer service department. Electricity suppliers often offer a greater total discount (or a sign-up bonus) for taking both services, making them very competitive. |
| Best For | Homeowners who use both electricity and natural gas and value the convenience of having a single supplier. It is advisable to compare the bundled price against the cost of taking the cheapest electricity-only and gas-only deals from two separate suppliers. |
An electricity bill is composed of three main elements:
Fixed Rate plans provide essential budgetary certainty, locking in the price of the unit rate and standing charge for the contract period.
Variable Rate plans follow the market, meaning your price could increase or decrease at any time with notice.
| Feature | Variable Rate Plan | Fixed Rate Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Rate | Can rise or fall based on the wholesale cost of energy. | Is guaranteed not to change for the duration of the contract (typically 12 months). |
| Flexibility | High. Can benefit from market price drops. | Low. Cannot benefit from market price drops. |
| Security | Low. Risk of price increases. | High. Provides certainty for budgeting. |
| Typical Use | Standard tariffs, usually after a fixed-rate contract expires. | Discounted tariffs for new customers. |
Which Supplier Offers Fixed Rate Electricity Plans?
The type of meter you have dictates which electricity plans are available to you.
Choosing the best plan requires an honest assessment of your home’s energy profile:
Switching is a simple, free, and quick process managed entirely by your new supplier.
How Do I Switch Electricity Provider?
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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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