Is There Electric Ireland Pay As You Go?

Looking for information on Electric Ireland Pay As You Go? Electric Ireland is one of the few companies in Ireland to offer an alternative payment method to direct debit when paying for your energy. Electric Ireland Pay As You Go is a great option for those customers who want to have control of their spending! Read our comprehensive Electric Ireland Pay As You Go guide to find out if it's the best option for you!

What Is Electric Ireland Pay As You Go?

Electric Ireland is one of the few energy suppliers in Ireland to offer Pay As You Go (PAYG). With PAYG, all you need to do is top up your electricity when you need to so you don’t need to rely on a monthly direct debit. Electric Ireland only offers Smarter PAYG, mean you can only get it if you have a smart meter.

Need to do an Electric Ireland top up? If you need to do an Electric Ireland top up and no sure where to go, go and check out our Electric Ireland top up guide. We'll walk you through everything you need to know in order get your top up complete and stop you from a blackout! 

Check Out Our Electric Ireland Top Up Guide!

What Are the Electric Ireland PAYG Rates?

Electric Ireland offers two types of rates for the Smarter PAYG: their Electricity SPAYG plan and their Electricity SPAYG Nightsaver plan. These two plans are catered for customers who want to benefit from the different options available. Here are the full Electric Ireland PAYG plans:

Pay As You Go

EAB from

€2,039

78 /year

Variable

Urban Meter

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SPAYG Electricity Urban

• Unit Rate: 38.95c /kWh
• Standing Charge: €272.61
• Prepay Service: €131.45
• EAB: €2,039.78

SPAYG NightSaver Urban

• Day Rate: 41.59c /kWh
• Night Rate: 20.51c /kWh
• Standing Charge: €357.19
• Prepay Service: €131.45
• EAB: €1,792.92

Electricity Only

Exit Fee: €0

Pay As You Go

EAB from

€2,109

56 /year

Variable

Rural Meter

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SPAYG Electricity Rural

• Unit Rate: 38.95c /kWh
• Standing Charge: €342.39
• Prepay Service: €131.45
• EAB: €2,109.56

SPAYG NightSaver Rural

• Day Rate: 41.59c /kWh
• Night Rate: 20.51c /kWh
• Standing Charge: €435.32
• Prepay Service: €131.45
• EAB: €1,871.05

Electricity Only

Exit Fee: €0

Last updated: January 2024
EAB calculated based on average electricity usage (4,200 kWh) with VAT and PSO Levy included.

What Are the Electric Ireland SPAYG Rate?

Electric Ireland’s Smarter PAYG is offered from €2,040 a year. This is based on the average usage for an Irish home and the rates offered by Electric Ireland.

What Are the Electric Ireland SPAYG Nightsaver Rate?

The Electric Ireland Smarter PAYG Nightsaver is offered from €1,899. The slightly estimated annual bill is based on the the slightly lower rate during the night. Here are the current SPAYG Nightsaver hours with Electric Ireland:

• Winter day hours: 8 am to 11 pm
• Winter night hours:11 pm to 8 am
• Summer day hours: 9 am to Midnight
• Summer night hours: Midnight to 9 am

What About Electric Ireland PAYG Gas?

While customers can choose to opt in to Electric Ireland prepay electricity, prepay gas is reserved only for customers who may be experiencing payment difficulties or have accumulated debt.

Is Electric Pay As You Go More Expensive?

Pay As You Go is generally more expensive than other payment methods. With PAYG, you typically need to pay for more fixed costs as well as higher rates. These are associated with the greater risk to suppliers when it comes PAYG since they can be expensive to provide.

What Fixed Costs Are There With Electric Ireland PAYG?

In addition to paying for the electricity that you consume, you're also charged for fixed electricity costs. These include the following for Electric Ireland Pay As You Go customers:

1. Electricity Standing Charge
   This charge covers the costs of maintaining the electricity network. It is a charge you pay for daily for having your property’s electricity connected to the grid. This is €272.61 for urban customers and €342.39 for rural customers.
2. PSO Levy
   The Public Service Obligation (PSO) is a government that mandate supports generating electricity from renewable sources. Due to the energy crisis, the PSO levy has been reduced to €0.
3. PAYG Service Charge
   This covers the cost of maintaining your PAYG meter. This is currently €131.45 a year with Electric Ireland.

Check Out Our PSO Levy Guide!

How Does the Electric Ireland PAYG Compare?

Electric Ireland currently has the second cheapest Pay As You Go tariff on the market. With only three different companies, Electric Ireland is only bigger supplier that offers PAYG. Here are all the PAYG suppliers compared:

*Figures are for illustrative purposes only. Calculations based on average consumption figures for an urban home with a 24-hour standard meter. All discounts and cashback have been applied.
Last updated: April 2024

How Does the Electric Ireland Emergency Credit Work?

If your credit is about to run out and you don’t have time to get to the shop, there is no need to worry as Electric Ireland provides a €10 emergency credit offer. To get emergency credit, just press any key on your meter keypad when your credit is running low and the meter is beeping. Any emergency credit used will be deducted from your next top-up.

Does Electric Ireland Pay As You Go Have Friendly Credit?

Apart from your PAYG emergency credit facility, you also have the advantage of friendly credit hours with Electric Ireland. Friendly credit refers to certain dates and times that Electric Ireland will not cut you off if you use up all your credit and emergency credit. Friendly credit hours are:

1. Weekday Hours
   Monday to Thursday from 5 pm to 9 am, late March to October, and from 4 pm to 8 am starting late October until late March. On Fridays, from 5 pm on until 9 am on Monday morning.
2. Holiday Hours
   Certain dates and holidays: 1st January (New Year’s Day), 17th March (St. Patrick’s Day), 24th December (Christmas Eve), 25th December (Christmas Day), 26th December (St. Stephen’s Day) & 31st December (New Year’s Eve).

Please note that bank holidays are not credit friendly days, and as such, if you run out of both credit and emergency credit on those days, your electricity and/or gas supply will be cut off.

What Is the Electric Ireland Contact Information?

If you should experience any issues with topping up, or wish to make a complaint or enquire about Electric Ireland pay as you go, you’ll find all of the contact details for Electric Ireland’s services and departments on our Electric Ireland contact page.