Electric Ireland is putting its prices up on Wednesday 1 July, and as the biggest supplier in the country it tends to set the tone for everyone else. Here is exactly what is changing, what you can do in the next few days to soften it, and the longer-term move that takes you off the hook for good.
What is changing on 1 July
Electric Ireland, which supplies about 1.1 million homes, is raising residential electricity prices by 8% and gas by 7.7% from 1 July 2026. It is the company's first increase since 2022, after three reductions in between, and it puts the rise down to wholesale price pressure linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
- Electricity: about €138 a year more on the average bill, roughly €2.66 a week.
- Gas: about €117 a year more, roughly €2.25 a week.
- The new rates apply from 1 July, so anything you use before then is still charged at today's price.
- Other suppliers often follow the largest one, so it is worth acting now whoever you are with.
Do these before 1 July
A few minutes this week can stop you paying the new rate on electricity you have already used.
- Submit a meter reading on or just before 1 July. It fixes everything up to that date at the old rate, so your recent usage is not swept up into the higher price. If you have a smart meter you are read automatically; everyone else should send a reading to their supplier.
- Photograph the meter with the date visible, so you have a record if you ever need to query a bill.
- Note your current unit rate and standing charge. You need both to compare anything sensibly, which brings us to the next point.
Should you switch or fix?
With the biggest supplier going up, this is the moment to compare. A few things to weigh before you decide:
- Compare the unit rate (the price per unit of electricity) and the standing charge (a fixed daily fee you pay no matter how little you use). A low unit rate paired with a high standing charge can cost a light user more overall.
- Watch for exit fees if you are still inside a contract, and for introductory discounts that fall away after the first year.
- New-customer discounts are usually the best value, and switching does not interrupt your supply. Comparison sites such as bonkers.ie line up the current rates side by side.
- Happy where you are? Ask your supplier to move you to their best available tariff anyway. It often costs nothing to ask.
The longer game: solar is now locked in to 2029
Trimming a few euro off the bill helps, but the only real way off the treadmill of rising prices is to generate some of your own electricity. Last week brought useful certainty for anyone weighing it up.
- On 18 June the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment confirmed the €1,800 solar PV grant is staying for the lifetime of this government, so it is secure for at least the next three years.
- There is no means test. It is open to all eligible homeowners regardless of income.
- Paired with a home battery, which now carries 0% VAT alongside solar, a system lets you use the electricity you generate during the day in the evening peak, when rates are highest.
- Solar is the closest most homes get to insulating themselves from increases like the one landing next week.
One bill you can cut today
The suppliers set their own prices, but the electricity you waste at home is the part you control. Swapping old halogen and incandescent bulbs for LED uses up to 80% less power for the same brightness, and good LEDs last for years. It is the simplest saving in the house, and it starts the day you fit them.
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About Shamrock Electrical Supplies
Shamrock Electrical Supplies is an electrical retailer and wholesaler based in Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin. We supply homeowners and professional contractors across Ireland, with free delivery from the first euro.
Find Us
Shamrock Electrical Supplies
Unit 22, Block 613, Jordanstown Road
Greenogue Business Park
Rathcoole, Co. Dublin, D24 TX98
Opening Hours
Monday to Thursday: 7am to 5:30pm
Friday: 7am to 5pm
Saturday: 9am to 1:30pm
Sunday: Closed