Electric Ireland to increase prices for gas, electricity

Electric Ireland is to raise energy prices for its residential customers from the start of July.

The utility company - which is a subsidiary of the State-owned ESB Group - said it would raise its residential electricity prices by 8% from 1st July, with gas prices rising by 7.7% at the same time.

For the average electricity customer, this will mean an increase of €138.24 to their annual bill, while the average gas customer will see their annual bill rise by €116.76.

Electric Ireland is the biggest residential electricity provider in the country, with 1.1m electricity customers.

It said the price rises were necessary as the conflict in the Middle East has resulted in "significant upward price pressure on wholesale energy markets".

It said it is the first time it has raised residential prices since October 2022, with three price reductions made in the intervening years.

It follows a price increase by PrePayPower at the start of the month, while both Energia and SSE Airtricity raised their residential energy prices in late 2025.

"The conflict in the Middle East continues to drive volatility in wholesale energy costs which have increased significantly," said Pat Fenlon, executive director at Electric Ireland. "Unfortunately, we cannot delay this increase any further due to the sustained upward price pressure on our wholesale energy costs."

Electric Ireland said it had a range of supports available to customers facing financial challenges, including flexible payment plans and pay-as-you-go meters.

Daragh Cassidy, of price comparison site Bonkers.ie, said that "cheaper bills aren't on the way anytime soon".

Speaking on RTÉ’s Drivetime, he said around 20-25% of people switch energy suppliers each year and, in some cases, save hundreds of euros, but that there is a segment of the population that has not switched in many years.

He appealed to people who had not switched in many years, adding that they were likely overpaying.

"Anyone who is listening that hasn’t switched in around two or three years, I could almost guarantee you that you’re overpaying for your energy."

Mr Cassidy said energy is one of the easiest bills to switch, and everything can be done online.

"I don’t think we’re going to be seeing any falls in energy prices over the coming year or two."

Renewed calls for Govt to provide energy credits

Opposition parties have renewed their calls for the Government to provide energy credits in light of Electric Ireland's planned price rises.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the hikes showed that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were wrong to ignore her party's call for an emergency cost-of-living budget in recent weeks.

"This is the biggest electricity provider in the country hiking up electricity and gas bills from July. It will cost many families as much as €250 a month. It’s a hike they simply cannot afford," she said.

"Households here are already paying the highest electricity prices in Europe. It’s unacceptable for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to continue sitting on their hands as the pressure mounts on people," she added.

Social Democrats Energy spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore also called on the Government to provide supports.

"With no targeted energy supports in place for struggling households - as called for by the Social Democrats - hard pressed customers have been abandoned by the Government and left at the mercy of the market," she said.

Ms Whitmore also cited a new study commissioned by Friends of the Earth Ireland and Beyond Fossil Fuels, which suggests that an estimated cumulative average of €360 has been added to household electricity bills in recent years due to high data centre energy demand.

"Consumers are paying a high price for the Government’s failure to rein in data centres, with Friends of the Earth warning that the cost to households could intensify dramatically in the coming years," she said.

The Government insists it is continuing to monitor energy affordability in the wake of the latest price rise from Electric Ireland.

A spokesperson for Minister for Energy Darragh O'Brien said: "The Government is taking action to address rising electricity and gas prices through targeted supports, lower VAT on energy bills, increased fuel supports, and investment in home energy upgrades.

"Recent electricity price increases have been linked to higher international gas prices and global instability, with Ireland's reliance on gas continuing to affect costs."

"While some suppliers have introduced price rises, customer protections and hardship supports remain in place at my request, and no customer in arrears who engages with their provider will be disconnected," they added.

"We are accelerating the delivery of renewable energy to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, with renewables generating around 50% of Ireland’s electricity in recent months.

"This is key to delivering sustainable energy security and affordability over the long term and will help drive down prices for households and businesses," the spokesperson said.