Gas & Electricity Price Changes

The average annual electricity bill in Ireland is €2,023.23 and the average annual gas bill is €1,881.65. So, the average household energy bill is €3,904.88 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 €2,931.96 for electricity and €2,737.55 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 €1,114.49 for electricity and €1,025.74 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.

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 9% 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 -€89.90 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.

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.