🇮🇪 Cheapest electricity hours in Ireland today
See Ireland's current wholesale electricity price and the cheapest available hours today.
When is electricity cheapest in Ireland?
Ireland's wholesale electricity price is set through the Integrated Single Electricity Market (I-SEM), covering both Ireland and Northern Ireland, operated day-ahead as part of the wider pan-European market coupling.
Ireland has one of the highest shares of wind power in its electricity mix in Europe. When wind output is high, wholesale prices tend to fall — sometimes into negative territory during windy, low-demand periods such as overnight. When wind is low and demand is high, typically weekday evenings around 5pm–7pm, the grid relies more on gas-fired generation and prices tend to rise.
The price shown here is the wholesale market price. Your actual household bill also includes supplier margin, network charges, the PSO (Public Service Obligation) levy, and VAT, so it will differ from the number on this page.
This can be useful for flexible electricity use such as EV charging, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, water heating and other loads that can be moved to a cheaper time.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Ireland sometimes have negative electricity prices?
Ireland has one of the highest shares of wind power in its electricity mix in Europe. During windy nights with low demand, there can be more electricity on the grid than is needed, pushing the wholesale price below zero for short periods.
When is electricity most expensive in Ireland?
Prices typically rise during weekday evening peak demand, roughly 5pm to 7pm, especially when wind output is low and the grid relies more heavily on gas-fired generation.
Is this the same price as my electricity bill?
No. This is the I-SEM (Integrated Single Electricity Market) wholesale price. Your household bill also includes supplier margin, network charges, the PSO levy, and VAT.
What is the I-SEM electricity market?
The I-SEM (Integrated Single Electricity Market) is the wholesale electricity market covering both Ireland and Northern Ireland, operated day-ahead as part of the wider pan-European market coupling. It sets one wholesale price for the island as a whole.
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