How to cut your electricity bill in Ireland

Most people in Ireland pay more for electricity than they need to, and the reason is rarely how much they use. It is usually the tariff. A household that has stayed with the same supplier for a few years, on a plan that rolled over when its discount ended, can often save just by moving. This guide walks you through reading your bill, deciding whether a smart or night-rate tariff suits you, getting your real usage from ESB Networks, switching, and then using a little less.

Start with your bill

Find your last bill, paper or PDF. Three lines matter more than the total.

The unit rate

This is what you pay for each kilowatt hour (kWh) you use. It is the number that changes most between suppliers and plans. If you are on a day and night or smart tariff you will see more than one unit rate, one for each time band.

The standing charge

This is a fixed daily charge you pay whether you use any electricity or not. It covers the cost of keeping your home connected. It varies by supplier and by whether you live in an urban or rural area. A low unit rate with a high standing charge can work out dearer for a small home that uses little, so always look at both.

The PSO levy

The Public Service Obligation levy is a charge set each year by the energy regulator, the CRU, and every supplier adds the same amount. It funds renewable and secure generation. You cannot avoid it by switching, so ignore it when comparing suppliers, but it is worth knowing it is not your supplier's choice.

Also check:

• Whether your bill is based on an actual reading or an estimate (an "E" usually marks an estimate).
• When your current contract or discount ends.
• Your MPRN, the 11-digit number that identifies your meter. You need it to switch.

Worth knowing: if your bill says "estimated", send in a meter reading. Estimates can run high or low for months and leave you with a surprise later.

Smart meters and time-of-use tariffs

ESB Networks has been installing smart meters across the country. You can check whether you have one, and read about the rollout, on ESB Networks. The meter itself does not save you money. What it does is let your supplier charge you different rates at different times of day.

A typical smart tariff has three bands:

• A day rate for most of the waking day.
• A night rate, cheaper, for the overnight hours.
• A peak rate, dearer, for a short window in the early evening.

The exact hours depend on the plan, so read the terms before you sign.

When a smart tariff pays

It pays when you can move a good share of your use into the cheap hours or out of the peak. That is easiest if you:

• Have an electric car you charge overnight.
• Heat water with an immersion on a timer.
• Use storage heaters or a heat pump.
• Can run the dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer on a delay timer.

It may not pay if most of your use falls between around five and seven in the evening: cooking dinner, everyone home, lights and heating on. Paying a peak rate for that window can cancel out the savings at night.

The older night saver meter

Some homes still have a separate day and night meter, often installed for storage heating. If you have one, compare day and night tariffs rather than standard ones. If you no longer use the night hours much, a standard plan may be better.

Download your real usage from ESB Networks

Guessing how much you use at night is where most people go wrong. If you have a smart meter, you can register on the ESB Networks website with your MPRN and download your usage data. The file shows your consumption in half-hour slots.

Once you have it:

1. Add up your use in the night hours of the tariff you are looking at.
2. Add up your use in the peak window.
3. Compare those shares against the rest of the day.

If a large slice is already at night, a smart tariff is likely to suit you. If a large slice is in the peak, be careful. You can then compare plans on our smart meter tariffs page with a much clearer picture of what you actually use.

Switching supplier is free and quick

Switching electricity supplier in Ireland:

• Costs nothing to switch itself.
• Does not change your meter, your wiring or the electricity that reaches your home.
• Does not cut off your supply, not even for a moment.
• Is handled between the suppliers and ESB Networks once you sign up.

The rules that protect you when you switch are set by the CRU. You will need your MPRN, a meter reading on the day, and your bank details for direct debit. Your old supplier sends a final bill.

Before you switch, check

• Exit fees. If you are on a fixed-term contract, leaving early can carry a fee. Your terms say how much. Often it is still worth it, but do the sum.
• The price after the discount. Many offers are a discount off a standard rate for the first year. Find out what you will pay after that.
• The standing charge. Not just the unit rate.
• The cooling-off period. If you sign up online or by phone you have a cooling-off period, usually 14 days, to change your mind. Citizens Information explains your rights.
• Arrears. If you owe your current supplier money, it may be able to object to the switch. Ask your supplier or the CRU if this applies to you.

Put a reminder in your calendar a few weeks before your new contract ends. That is when you compare again. You can see all the main suppliers side by side on our energy page, including Electric Ireland, SSE Airtricity, Bord Gáis Energy and Energia. If you also have gas, check gas tariffs and whether a dual fuel plan is cheaper than two separate ones.

Use less, without being cold

A cheaper tariff and lower use together make the biggest difference. SEAI has good, free advice for Irish homes. The tips that tend to help most:

• Immersion. Put it on a timer and heat only the water you need. An immersion left on is one of the most common causes of a high bill.
• Standby. Switch off TVs, consoles and chargers at the wall when you are not using them.
• Washing. Wash at lower temperatures and with a full load. Dry clothes on a rack when you can.
• Cooking. A kettle, microwave or air fryer usually uses less than the oven for small jobs.
• Heating. If you heat with electricity, set a sensible thermostat and heat the rooms you use.

Bigger changes

If you own your home, SEAI runs grant schemes for insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and home energy upgrades. The amounts and rules change, so check the current figures on SEAI before you plan anything. A BER (Building Energy Rating) assessment can show where your home loses the most heat.

If you are struggling to pay

Talk to your supplier early. Suppliers must offer payment plans and follow CRU rules on customers in arrears. If you depend on electrically powered medical equipment, register with your supplier as a vulnerable customer.

A quick checklist

1. Find your MPRN, unit rate, standing charge and contract end date on your bill.
2. If you have a smart meter, download your half-hourly usage from ESB Networks.
3. Work out how much of your use is at night and at peak.
4. Compare plans on our energy page using your real figures.
5. Check exit fees and the price after any discount.
6. Switch, give a meter reading, and set a reminder for when the new deal ends.
7. Put the immersion on a timer and work through the SEAI tips.

Doing this once a year takes an evening, and it is often the easiest saving a household can make.