By doing a comparison of electricity prices and switching to the cheapest deal on an annual basis, households can save significant amounts of money. There have been quite a few price rises in the past few months and more might be on the way later in 2022 .
Before 2011 the only domestic electricity provider in Ireland was Electric Ireland. (It was known as ESB then).
However, since the deregulation of electricity in 2011, consumers can now choose from several electricity suppliers such as Energia, SSE Airtricity, Panda or Bord Gais Energy.
A couple of Energy suppliers have pulled out of Ireland (Bright and Iberdrola).
The electricity switching market in Ireland is usually very competitive. Most energy suppliers regularly have special offers, discount codes or cashback promotions. These offers are probably going to be less common now as energy prices increase.
Figures from the CRU show that many thousands of people in Ireland have never switched electricity suppliers – (about 35% of all households). But – there are still substantial savings to be made by switching your electricity supplier.
Who has the Cheapest Electricity Deal in Ireland in August 2022 ?
On August 2nd 2022, we did a Comparison of Electricity Prices available in Ireland for new customers on standard meters and this is what we found: (All prices take account of the reduced VAT)
See the figures below.
You can check the figures for your own household on the Switcher website
| Annual Electricity Usage | Cheapest Electricity Provider (Over 1st Year) | 2nd Cheapest Provider (Over 1st Year) |
|---|---|---|
| Very High (8000 kWh) | Bord Gais Energy €1951 | SSE €2060 |
| High (6000kWh) | Bord Gais Energy €1548 | SSE €1615 |
| Medium (4200 kWh) | Bord Gais Energy €1185 | SSE €1214 |
| Low (3000 kWH) | Flogas €937 | Bord Gais Energy €943 |
Very High Electricity Usage
A large household with more than 5 or 6 occupants could use as much as 8000 kwh a year. This is almost double the average usage.
Currently, the next best switching deal for very high electricity usage homes is from Bord Gais Energy at €1951 in year one.
SSE has the next cheapest electricity deal for very high usage Over the first year they will work out at €2060 .
You can check the figures for your own household on the Switcher website
High Electricity Usage:
Electricity consumption of 6000 kwH per year might be typical for high usage households. Generally speaking, electricity usage will be higher than average in larger homes with four or more occupants.
However, some smaller households that use electricity for both heating and hot water may also have high electricity.
Currently, the best switching deal for high electricity usage homes is from Bord Gais at €1548 in year one.
SSE has the next cheapest electricity deal for high usage Over the first year they will work out at €1615 .
Average Electricity Usage
For medium-sized homes that probably use gas, oil or solid fuel to provide heating and hot water, an annual electricity usage of about 4200 Kwh a year would be typical. (This is the national average usage figure.)
Bord Gais Energy is currently the cheapest for switchers at €1185 in year one.
SSE has the second cheapest electricity deal for average usage. Over the first year – their discount offer will work out at €1214 .
You can check the figures for your own household on the Switcher website
Best for Low Electricity Usage :
Smaller households will obviously use less electricity. Typical usage for a 1 or 2 person household that doesn’t use electricity for heating might be 3000kwh per year.
Flogas has the lowest price at €937 in year one (includes €225 welcome bonus)
Bord Gais Energy has the second cheapest electricity deal for low usage. Over the first year – their 39% discount offer will work out at €943 .
Switch Annually
In all cases – after the first 12 months with a supplier, households should always compare electricity prices and look into switching supplier again to obtain the best deal.
You can check the figures for your own household on the Switcher website
When we do our Comparison of Electricity Prices, we always include cashback offers in the calculations. However, some comparison sites don’t automatically include cashback in the price. For this reason, do not assume that the deal shown at the top of a comparison site is actually the cheapest one available.
As you can see, cashback offers can make a big difference when comparing electricity prices – especially for lower usage households.
Be wary of two-year contracts with cashback – they may show up as being the cheapest in year one on some comparison sites but may not really be the cheapest when the cashback is spread over 2 years. The 2-year cashback deals from Electric Ireland have a clawback clause that means you will have to return the cashback if you leave before the end of the contract.
Important – If you also have natural gas you should check our Dual Fuel Price Comparison
Ultimately you should be planning on switching your energy supplier every 12 months to take advantage of all these special offers. If you don’t switch, your provider will just put you back on their standard rates after the first year.
Switching only takes a few minutes – and as we have shown it can easily save you hundreds of Euros on electricity bills over a year.
Figures correct Aug 2nd 2022
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