FAQs

The Commission holds a number of statutory responsibilities to regulate, examine and approve how ESB Customer Supply, as the Public Electricity Supplier, charges its customers. As part of this the Commission has, since 2001, conducted an annual review of tariffs with the aim of ensuring that prices charged by ESB Customer Supply are cost reflective as well as sustainable in the long run.

In addition to regulating the retail tariffs of ESB Customer Supply, the Commission also regulates and approves the tariffs associated with the transmission and distribution network service for all electricity customers, as well as Customer Supply’s fuel costs. Each of these upstream costs is reflected in the end-user supply price charged by ESB Customer Supply.

Electricity prices are driven by two key factors; increased investment in network infrastructure and the cost of fuel for generation. Fuel costs have increased significantly over recent years for a variety of reasons. On the other hand Ireland's electricity network is undergoing a major refurbishment program. The cost of this work program is estimated to be €3 billion and these costs, approved by the CER, are recovered from all customers via electricity charges.

There are 2 different Urban Domestic Tariffs:

Urban Standard
The Standard Domestic tariffs have a single unit charge for all electricity used.

Urban Nightsaver
The NightSaver tariffs have two different unit charges - one for electricity used during the day and a second, lower, charge for electricity used during designated night-time hours.

Designated Nighttime hours:
The lower cost hours for Nightsaver electricity are from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. in wintertime (late October to late March) and from 12 midnight to 9 a.m. in summertime (late March to late October).

There are 2 different Rural Domestic and Farm Charges Tariffs:

Rural Domestic and Farm Standard
The Standard Domestic tariffs have a single unit charge for all electricity used.

Rural Domestic and Farm NightSaver
The Night Saver tariffs have two different unit charges - one for electricity used during the day and a second, lower, charge for electricity used during designated night-time hours.

Designated Night time hours:
The lower cost hours for Nightsaver electricity are from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. in wintertime (late October to late March) and from 12 midnight to 9 a.m. in summertime (late March to late October).

This tariff is offered under the Rural and Domestic ‘Standard’ tariff. If you have a night storage-heating appliance, you can avail of the cheaper Night Storage Heating kWh unit charge. This requires implementation of a separate meter to the heating appliance and accordingly a separate standing charge is applied.

Each domestic tariff is composed of three elements:

Standing Charge

The standing charge covers the upkeep of the network necessary to bring supply to your home, together with the cost of reading the meter, issuing and processing the bills, etc. These costs have to be met irrespective of the amount of electricity used.

Different standing charges apply to urban and rural customers.

A small additional standing charge applies where a second meter is installed for electric storage heating.

Public Service Obligation (PSO) Levy

The Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy relates to the purchase by ESB of the output of certain peat generated electricity, in the interests of security of supply, and the output of certain generating stations using renewable, sustainable or alternative forms of energy, in the interests of environmental protection, in accordance with a PSO order made by the Minister for Public Enterprise.

The PSO levy appears as a separate line item on all customers bills.

Unit Charge

The unit charge relates to the amount of electricity you use. The amount of electricity used is recorded in "units" each of which is equivalent to 1,000 watts of electricity used for one hour, and is known as kilowatt-hour (kWh).

Under the ‘Standard’ tariff, a separate unit charge applies to Night Storage Heating.

Applying VAT on electricity charges is outside the remit of the Commission. This tax is applied by the Revenue Department. For further information, you can call the Revenue Department, and ask for the VAT Interpretation Branch.

ESB tariffs are published on the ESB website at http://www.esb.ie/main/energy_home