What Are Electric Ireland's Pay As You Go Rates?

By Cormac Breen

Content Manager

Electric Ireland's Pay As You Go rate is 35.83c /kWh on their Smart PAYG Electricity plan. They are also offering a day rate of 38.26c per kWh, and a night rate of 18.87c per kWh on their Night Smart PAYG plan. Electric Ireland also charge an annual Pay As You Go service charge of €131.45 in addition to a standing charge and PSO levy. If you are looking to switch electricity provider, you can call 📞(01) 525 6882.

What Are the Electric Ireland PAYG Rates?

Electric Ireland as Ireland largest electricity supplier is offering two price plans for PAYG customers:

1. SPAYG Electricity
2. SPAYG Nightsaver

Pay As You Go

EAB from

€1,883

/year

Variable

Urban Meter

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SPAYG Electricity Urban

• Unit Rate: 34.74c /kWh
• Standing Charge: €250.76
• Prepay Service: €131.45
• EAB: €1,883

Pay As You Go

EAB from

€1,948

/year

Variable

Rural Meter

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SPAYG Electricity Rural

• Unit Rate: 34.74c /kWh
• Standing Charge: €314.98
• Prepay Service: €131.45
• EAB: €1,948

Last updated: July 2025
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 Smart Pay As You Go plan offers a standard rate of 35.83c /kWh with an estimated annual bill of €1,902 on an urban meter and, €1,966 on a rural meter.

This estimate also includes the annual standing charge, prepayment service, VAT and the PSO levy.

What Are the Electric Ireland SPAYG Nightsaver Rate?

Electric Ireland's Smart PAYG Nightsaver plan offers a day rate of 38.26c /kWh and a night rate of 18.87 /kWh with an estimated annual bill of €1,663 on an urban meter and, €1,735 on a rural meter.

The SPAYG Nightsaver hours with Electric Ireland are:

• 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 Is the Standing Charge for Electric Ireland Pay As You Go?

Electric Ireland's Pay As You Go plans have a standing charge, which is a fixed daily cost regardless of how much electricity you consume. 

This charge can vary depending on whether your meter is urban or rural.

The annual standing charges for Electric Ireland's Smart Pay As You Go plan are:

• Urban meter: approximately €250.77 annually
• Rural meter: approximately €314.98 annually

It's important to note that these are annual figures, and the standing charge is applied as a daily fixed cost.

How Do I Sign up to an Electric Ireland PAYG Plan?

To sign up to an Electric Ireland pay-as-you-go plan, there are two options:

1. Online:
   Visit the Electric Ireland website. Look for a "Switch" or "Sign Up" section, specifically for "Smart Meter Price Plans" or "Smarter Pay As You Go." They usually have an online application form.
2. Over the phone:
   Call Electric Ireland's sales or customer service line. Their sales number is generally 1800 30 50 90. Inform them you want to sign up for a Pay As You Go electricity plan.

 When signing up, you'll need to provide the following information:

• Personal details
• Your address
• MPRN (Meter Point Reference Number)
• Current meter reading
• Bank details

After signing up, you'll receive a welcome pack with your account number, plan details, and terms and conditions.

How Do the Electric Ireland PAYG Rates Compare?

Electric Ireland currently has the second-cheapest Pay As You Go tariff on the market, compared to the other PAYG providers, PrepayPower and Pinergy.

💰 Cheapest Prepayment Electricity Offer per Supplier

Supplier	Best Offer	Price per year
	Standard	€1,853.07
	Smarter Prepay Electricity	€1,883.93
	Standard	€2,043.98
Call Selectra to Switch Energy Supplier Today!   01 913 1771 Schedule a Free Call!  Schedule a Free Call

*Figures are for illustrative purposes only. Calculations based on average consumption figures for an urban home with a PAYG meter. All discounts and cashback have been applied.
Last updated: July 2025

Is Electric Ireland Pay As You Go Expensive?

While Electric Ireland have one of the cheaper Pay As You Go plans on the market, PAYG electricity is normally much more expensive than standard electricity prices.

Compared to Electric Ireland's cheapest, standard electricity rates for €1,246 per year, switching energy plans to their PAYG plan would be over €600 more expensive.

In addition to more expensive unit rates and higher annual bills, PAYG price plans often contain more additional fixed costs than standard electricity plans:

1. Electricity Standing Charge
   It is a charge you pay for daily for having your property’s electricity connected to the grid.
2. PAYG Service Charge
   This covers the cost of maintaining your PAYG meter.
3. PSO Levy
   The Public Service Obligation (PSO) is a government that mandate supports generating electricity from renewable sources. With VAT included, this amounts to €42.25 per year.

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How Does the Electric Ireland Emergency Credit Work?

If your credit is about to run out, and you don’t have time to make an Electric Ireland top up, there is no need to worry as Electric Ireland provides a €20 emergency credit offer when your meter goes below €3.

To get emergency credit, just follow these steps:

1. Press ‘A’ and then ‘B’ on your Smarter Pay As You Go meter when prompted to
2. Press accept on your In Home Monitor

Any emergency credit used will be deducted from your next top-up.

If you choose to ignore the emergency credit, your power will be shut off when the meter reaches zero.

Does Electric Ireland Pay As You Go Have Friendly Credit?

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 Pay As You Go Phone Number?

If you are having issues with your Electric Ireland Pay As You Go account, you can contact their customer support team on 1800 372 372 available (8am – 8pm Mon – Fri, 9am—5.30pm Sat).

If you should experience any issues with topping up, or wish to make a complaint or inquire about Electric Ireland pay as you go, you can contact Electric Ireland by the following: