Electricity tariffs in Ireland: dynamic prices, smart plans and your bill
Information checked:
In this guide
A cheap half-hour on Ireland’s wholesale chart is an opportunity, not a promise about your bill. First check whether your contract follows those prices and what your supplier adds. This guide covers household electricity in the Republic of Ireland, not Northern Ireland’s retail tariffs or consumer rules.
Smart, dynamic and fixed do not mean the same thing
With a time-of-use smart tariff, different rates apply to scheduled bands, such as day, night and peak. Those rates do not necessarily follow tomorrow’s wholesale market. A dynamic tariff changes with day-ahead prices every half-hour. CRU’s consumer guidance describes these plans becoming available from June 2026. CRU: dynamic price tariffs.
A smart meter can support different types of plan; installing one does not tell you which price formula you have. Look for the actual tariff name and unit rates on your bill, not just the word “smart”.
Likewise, fixed-term means a contract lasts for a specified period; it does not by itself fix your unit price. A fixed discount can remain unchanged while the underlying price changes. Ask which rates, charges or discounts are guaranteed, and until when. CRU: what “fixed” means.
Check that your meter and account are ready
Electric Ireland requires half-hourly smart-meter readings, a CTF score of 4 (reliable meter communications), an online account and electronic billing for its dynamic plan. Ask the supplier to check your meter before assuming that you qualify. Electric Ireland: eligibility.
Bord Gáis Energy’s August 2026 terms specify MCC12 meter configuration and CTF 4. They also describe a tariff change if communications remain below the required level for 30 days. Ask what happens to your price and readings if communications fail. Bord Gáis Energy: Smart Dynamic terms.
Before comparing plans, download your available smart-meter history from ESB Networks or your supplier. ESB Networks provides a Harmonised Downloadable File (HDF) in CSV format. Check the file’s units and timestamps before calculating costs; a power reading in kW is not itself energy in kWh. ESB Networks: smart-data downloads.
Supplier examples: compare the base rate as well as the market price
Checked on 12 September 2026. These are examples, not a cheapest-supplier ranking. Request the current tariff sheet and terms for your own meter and supply address.
| Supplier | Important difference | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Electric Ireland | Published dynamic base rates differ between day, night and peak; urban and rural standing charges also differ. | Compare the full price in each band, not just the wholesale component. Confirm how you will access prices and consumption history. Electric Ireland |
| Bord Gáis Energy | Its Smart Dynamic terms describe one base rate across half-hours, plus the dynamic rate and standing charge. | Check the effective tariff date, online-only conditions and how the price cap applies. Bord Gáis Energy |
| SSE Airtricity | Its household explanation combines a day/night/peak base rate with a half-hourly dynamic rate and daily standing charge. | Obtain all three base rates, their time bands, current eligibility and applicable levies. SSE Airtricity |
This difference matters: a lower wholesale price at midday could still produce a higher retail price than a night interval with a cheaper base rate. Compare the whole variable rate at each time. Do not transfer one supplier’s formula or eligibility conditions to another.
Worked example: from half-hourly readings to a monthly subtotal
Your relevant market average is weighted by how much electricity you used in each interval. Suppose you use 80 kWh at a dynamic rate of €0.02/kWh and 120 kWh at €0.12/kWh. The dynamic cost is €1.60 + €14.40 = €16.00, or €0.08/kWh across 200 kWh. Simply averaging the two prices gives €0.07/kWh and would understate this household’s cost.
The following invented 30-day example uses those 200 kWh, a uniform base rate of €0.15/kWh and a standing charge of €0.80/day. These are not supplier quotes, regulated rates or a forecast. All inputs exclude VAT; no cap is reached and no extra multiplier is assumed.
| Component | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic electricity cost | 200 × €0.08/kWh | €16.00 |
| Base electricity cost | 200 × €0.15/kWh | €30.00 |
| Standing charge | 30 × €0.80/day | €24.00 |
| Subtotal before PSO levy and VAT | Sum of the listed components | €70.00 |
That subtotal is 35.00 ct/kWh, despite the 8 ct/kWh dynamic average. Add the applicable Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy and VAT to calculate a final bill. Do not add a second set of network costs if already recovered through the quoted base rate and standing charge. For time-banded base rates, calculate each band separately rather than applying a single rate to every kWh.
Bord Gáis Energy explains how it derives the consumption-weighted dynamic rate on a bill and adds the other components. It also warns that its downloadable billing data includes VAT whereas the bill adds VAT at the end: keep the tax basis consistent when checking totals. Bord Gáis Energy: bill calculation.
A price cap does not cap your whole bill
Bord Gáis Energy’s current terms state a €0.50/kWh cap on the dynamic component, not on the combined unit price or total bill. Its base rate still applies, and the cap can change. Bord Gáis Energy: cap and additional charges.
For illustration only, a capped dynamic component of €0.50 plus a hypothetical €0.15 base rate gives €0.65/kWh before VAT, even before allocating fixed charges. Conversely, a −€0.02 dynamic rate plus that base gives €0.13/kWh before VAT. Negative wholesale prices therefore need not mean free electricity. Confirm the signed contract’s treatment of negative prices, floors and adjustments.
Moving 40 kWh from a total variable rate of €0.35 to €0.20 changes the energy cost by €6.00 before VAT. This is hypothetical arithmetic, not guaranteed savings; standing charges remain payable. If the base rate changes between those times, include that change too.
The contract calculator below can reproduce the €70.00 subtotal with consumption 200, market price 0.08, multiplier 1, markup 0.15, monthly fee 24 and zero shared costs or shifted consumption. Here “markup” represents the assumed base rate. It is a simplified scenario, not a simulation of half-hourly caps or day/night/peak base rates.
Before switching, check the whole contract
Start with CRU’s list of approved comparison websites. Check whether a comparison includes dynamic plans and uses your interval data. A historical simulation cannot guarantee next year’s bill. kWhPrice is an educational price-information service, not a CRU-accredited switching site.
- Have your MPRN, recent bills and consumption history ready.
- Check the contract end date, exit fee, discount expiry and any conditions attached to joining credits.
- Compare standing charges for your address, every base-rate band, tax treatment and payment requirements.
- Ask for the applicable cooling-off period and cancellation procedure in writing.
- Confirm when the new tariff starts and which plans you could move to if it does not suit you.
- For solar exports, compare the export payment separately; it is not automatically the import rate.
CRU’s switching guidance explains the information to gather and warns that leaving a fixed-term contract early can incur a charge. A normal supplier switch and cancelling a contract early are not the same question. CRU: switching supplier.
Use the chart to support your routine, not dictate it
Check tomorrow’s supplier retail rates before setting a timer. Our chart shows wholesale prices, not your contracted base rate, cap or final bill. Match the date, timezone and interval to the supplier’s schedule; use local Irish time when planning household use.
Start with one genuinely flexible activity, such as charging an EV before a chosen departure time. Compare the complete contract against a predictable alternative using your existing routine first, then a realistic amount of shifting. Leave essential medical equipment, safe food storage and necessary heating out of any savings experiment.
If your consumption is concentrated in expensive periods and cannot move, a dynamic plan may not suit you. Historical hourly analysis can explain past patterns, but it cannot promise tomorrow’s cheapest time. The useful decision is whether the full contract fits your household and budget—not whether one bar on the market chart is green.