Gas & Electricity Price Changes
All changes to energy price plans are shown below
15/02/2019
Announcement date
New Icebreaker tariff available. 25% discount & reduced annual standing charge.
15/02/2019
Effective date
08/02/2019
Announcement date
Unit rate decrease on 'Rate Saver Fixed 12-Month Online Exclusive' tariffs for both Gas and Electricity.
12/02/2019
Effective date
30/01/2019
Announcement date
Discount on Energia's 'Cheapest Electricity' tariff increased from 34% to 35%.
31/01/2019
Effective date
28/01/2019
Announcement date
New SuperSaver tariff available. The plan offers fixed unit rates and a fixed standing charge on a 1-year contract.
28/01/2019
Effective date
04/12/2018
Announcement date
Flogas now offering a 25% discount to new customers who sign up for their direct debit tariff.
04/12/2018
Effective date
The average annual electricity bill in Ireland is €1,005.26 and the average annual gas bill is €835.60. So, the average household energy bill is €1,840.86 over the course of a year.
The electricity calculation is based on Electric Ireland’s standard electricity rate for customers who use the national average amount of electricity in a year, which is 4,200 kWh.
The gas calculation is based on Bord Gáis Energy’s standard gas price plan for customers who consume the national average amount of gas, which is 11,000 kWh.
If you use more gas and electricity than the national average, your costs will be higher. If you use less, your costs will be lower.
If you live in a big house with a low BER rating and use appliances and devices that require a lot of electricity, your bills are likely to be a good bit bigger than the national average.
For example, if you consume 50% more electricity and gas than the national average, your bills will be about €1,403.78 for electricity and €1,202.95 for gas, including all taxes and charges.
Similarly, if your home is small and well insulated, your consumption will probably be much lower than the national average. If you use 50% less than the national average for gas and electricity, your annual bills will be €606.74 for electricity and €468.26 for gas.
As you can see, the cost of gas and electricity largely depends on how much energy you consume over the course of a year.
The tables below give a breakdown of how much gas and electricity cost in Ireland, depending on how much energy you consume.
| Annual Consumption | Difference to national average | Estimated annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| 2,100 kWh | -50% | €606.74 |
| 3,150 kWh | -25% | €806 |
| 4,200 kWh | 0% | €1,005.26 |
| 5,250 kWh | 25% | €1,204.52 |
| 6,300 kWh | 50% | €1,403.78 |
| Annual Consumption | Difference to national average | Estimated annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| 5,500 kWh | -50% | €468.26 |
| 8,250 kWh | -25% | €651.93 |
| 11,000 kWh | 0% | €835.60 |
| 13,750 kWh | 25% | €1,019.28 |
| 16,500 kWh | 50% | €1,202.95 |
In Ireland, electricity bills are made up of unit rates, standing charges, the PSO levy and VAT. Gas bills are made up of unit rates, standing charges, Carbon Tax and VAT.
In the case of pay-as-you-go electricity or gas, a prepayment service charge is also included.
Unit rates are set by suppliers and are charged based on how much gas and electricity you use. Standing charges are also set by suppliers and are charged daily.
Value-added tax (VAT) and Carbon Tax are set by the Irish Government. VAT on energy prices is set at 13.5% and Carbon Tax is set at €20 per tonne.
The Public Service Obligation (PSO) Levy is set by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU). The PSO Levy is used to subsidise renewable energy generation and peat burning power plants in Ireland. The levy currently stands at €41.76 and is charged to all electricity customersin Ireland.
The prepayment service charge is set by Ireland’s pay-as-you-go gas and electricity suppliers.
| Supplier | Price plan | Unit rate per kWh | Standing charge per day | PSO levy | VAT | Year one cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric Ireland | SuperSaver (Direct Debit & Online Billing) | 15.79 cent | 26.65 cent | €41.76 | 13.5% | €807.75 |
| Energia | Cheapest Electricity | 14.97 cent | 49.66 cent | €41.76 | 13.5% | €857.44 |
| Bord Gáis Energy | 21% Discount (Paperless, Direct Debit & Level Pay) | 15.48 cent | 45.48 cent | €41.76 | 13.5% | €891.95 |
| Energia | Cheapest Electricity | 15.88 cent | 49.66 cent | €41.76 | 13.5% | €895.57 |
| BEenergy | Freedom | 17.01 cent | 39.8 cent | €41.76 | 13.5% | €907.25 |
| Supplier | Price plan | Unit rate per kWh | Standing charge per day | Carbon tax | VAT | Year one cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flogas Natural Gas | 25% Icebreaker | 5.34 cent | 13.77 cent | €40.70 | 13.5% | €683.87 |
| Just Energy | Rate Saver 12M Fixed Online Exclusive | 5.4 cent | 14.81 cent | €40.70 | 13.5% | €683.92 |
| Just Energy | Rate Saver - Fixed - 12 Month (Non Direct Debit) | 5.4 cent | 28.51 cent | €40.70 | 13.5% | €733.93 |
| Bord Gáis Energy | 14% Discount (Paperless, Direct Debit & Level Pay) | 5.26 cent | 27.64 cent | €40.70 | 13.5% | €739.18 |
| Electric Ireland | Standard Gas (Direct Debit & Online Billing) | 5.51 cent | 27.14 cent | €40.70 | 13.5% | €751.39 |
Changes to wholesale gas and electricity prices, changes to the PSO Levy, VAT and Carbon tax, and market conditions driven by competition between suppliers can cause your energy prices to change.
When Ireland’s energy suppliers decide to increase prices for households, it is usually as a result of increased wholesale gas and electricity prices or increased network charges.
If the CRU decides to increase the PSO Levy, or if the Irish Government decides to increase the VAT rate or Carbon Tax rate, your energy prices will go up too.
Suppliers sometimes cut prices for households to reward their existing customers and to compete for new customers.
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