Why electricity price comparisons go wrong
Most people compare electricity deals by looking at the headline discount percentage. A provider offering 25% off sounds better than one offering 15% off. But that logic only holds if you're comparing discounts applied to the same base rate, and you're not.
Each provider sets its own standard unit rate. A 25% discount on a high base rate can easily cost more than a 15% discount on a lower one. The only number that matters is the estimated annual cost for your household.
What to actually compare
- Unit rate (per kWh), after any discount applied. This is the biggest driver of your bill.
- Standing charge, a fixed daily cost, typically €0.70-€0.90 per day. Multiplied across 365 days, this adds €255-€330 to your annual bill regardless of usage.
- Estimated annual cost: the total of unit rate × your annual kWh usage, plus the annual standing charge. This is the number to compare.
- Discount expiry: when does the introductory rate end? Factor in what you'll pay in year 2 if you don't switch again.
- Exit fees: fixed-rate plans sometimes charge an exit fee of €50-€150 if you leave early. Variable tariffs typically have none.
What you need before you compare
To get an accurate comparison, you need two things from your current electricity bill: your annual usage in kWh (or a 12-month total if it's shown monthly), and your current unit rate and standing charge.
If your bill doesn't show annual usage, use this as a rough guide: a 1-2 bedroom home uses around 2,500-3,500 kWh per year; a 3-bedroom home around 3,800-4,500 kWh; a larger family home 5,000 kWh or more.
Day/night tariffs: worth comparing separately
If you have a smart meter, an EV, or night storage heaters, a day/night tariff may save you significantly more than a standard single-rate comparison would suggest.
Night rates in Ireland are typically 12-17c per kWh versus 28-34c for daytime. If you charge a car overnight or run a storage heater, your usage profile shifts heavily toward off-peak hours, making a day/night tariff potentially worth hundreds of euro per year over a standard rate.
When comparing, treat day/night tariffs as a separate category. The cheapest standard tariff is not automatically the best choice if your usage is night-heavy.
Green electricity tariffs
Several Irish providers offer green electricity tariffs, plans where the energy supplied is matched by renewable generation certificates. SSE Airtricity and others offer these as standard or as an add-on.
Green tariffs are not always more expensive. In some cases the rate is comparable to standard tariffs, particularly when a new customer discount is applied. Worth checking if this matters to you.
How to compare electricity prices step by step
- Step 1: Get your annual kWh usage from your bill.
- Step 2: Note your current unit rate and standing charge (post-discount if you're within an introductory period).
- Step 3: Calculate your current estimated annual cost: (unit rate × annual kWh) + (standing charge × 365).
- Step 4: Run the same calculation for each alternative provider using their advertised rates.
- Step 5: Compare the totals. The lowest estimated annual cost wins, not the highest discount percentage.
- Step 6: Check when your current discount expires. If it's within 3 months, factor in what you'll pay on the standard rate.
See your potential saving
Find out if you are overpaying
Sortd compares your current energy tariff against the full Irish market and shows you exactly how much you could save — based on your actual usage.
How Sortd handles this for you
Sortd does this calculation once when you set up your account, and then continuously in the background. When a provider offers a better estimated annual cost than your current plan, Sortd surfaces it, along with the saving and the next step.
You don't need to remember to check. You don't need to revisit a comparison site every few months. The comparison runs automatically, and you only hear about it when something is genuinely worth acting on.