Working from home has become the norm for a large share of Irish workers — and it has materially changed how households use electricity. A five-day work-from-home pattern adds roughly 2–3 kWh per working day compared to an empty house. Over a year, that is 500–750 kWh of extra consumption, adding €200–€300 at typical Irish unit rates.
More importantly, WFH usage is concentrated during the daytime — exactly when most standard tariffs charge the highest rate. This makes tariff choice more consequential for WFH households than for those who are out of the house during peak hours.
The WFH Electricity Profile
A typical WFH household uses electricity heavily between 8am and 6pm — laptop, monitors, heating or cooling, kettle, microwave, lighting. This is the opposite of the profile that benefits from night-rate tariffs, which favour households who can shift most usage to overnight.
This does not mean night-rate tariffs are useless for WFH households. It means:
- Night-rate tariffs still benefit WFH households for EV charging, overnight appliances, and heating timers
- But the day rate on a TOU tariff is typically higher than a flat standard rate — so heavy daytime usage on a night-rate tariff can cost more than a flat-rate deal if you're not disciplined about shifting usage
Which Tariff Type Is Best for WFH?
Option 1: Flat-rate standard tariff with the best unit rate
For most WFH households, the simplest and often cheapest approach is a flat-rate tariff with the lowest available unit rate. You pay the same rate all day, so heavy daytime usage does not penalise you.
New customer discounts of 20–30% from major suppliers can bring the effective unit rate down significantly for the first 12 months.
Best for: WFH households with no EV, no overnight-shift habits, and moderate overall usage.
Option 2: Night-rate tariff — if you can shift some load
If your household also charges an EV overnight, uses storage heaters or a heat pump on a timer, or can run the dishwasher and washing machine late at night, a night-rate tariff can still be net-positive for WFH households.
The calculation: does the overnight saving on shifted load outweigh the higher day rate you pay on daytime WFH usage?
For a household with an EV charging 3,000 kWh/year overnight, the overnight saving alone is typically €400–€500/year — more than enough to offset a slightly higher day rate on laptop and heating usage.
Best for: WFH households with EVs, heat pumps, or other significant overnight loads.
Option 3: Time-of-use (TOU) tariff with off-peak windows
Some suppliers offer TOU tariffs with multiple pricing windows — a peak rate (7am–11am, 5pm–9pm), an off-peak rate (mid-day and early afternoon), and an overnight rate. These can benefit WFH households who can shift dishwasher, washing machine, and other flexible loads to the off-peak mid-day window.
Best for: WFH households who are at home all day and can actively manage when appliances run.
Working From Home Tax Relief — Claim It
Before focusing entirely on tariff choice, make sure you are claiming the Revenue work-from-home tax relief. You can claim 30% of your electricity costs attributable to working from home (calculated on the proportion of your home used for work and the number of WFH days).
For a household spending €2,000/year on electricity with 50% WFH usage on 5 days/week, this is approximately €300 in tax relief. Claim via MyAccount at revenue.ie.
How to Find the Best Tariff for a WFH Household
Your total annual kWh will be higher than average — 5,000–7,000 kWh is common for full-time WFH households versus the Irish average of 4,200 kWh.
Use GoSwitch with your actual annual kWh (from your bill) to get an accurate comparison. A higher kWh input changes the ranking because some tariffs have more competitive unit rates and others have lower standing charges.
Practical Tips to Reduce the WFH Electricity Bill
Laptop over desktop: A laptop uses 20–50W vs 150–300W for a desktop. If you use a desktop for work, switching to a laptop for lighter tasks saves 100–200W continuously through the working day.
Monitor choice: OLED and modern LED monitors use 25–35W. Older or larger monitors can use 60–100W. Replacing an old monitor pays back in electricity costs relatively quickly.
Smart plugs for standby: Printers, docking stations, and monitors on standby draw constant small amounts of power. A smart plug that turns them off after work hours reduces vampire load.
Heating zones: If you work in one room, use a smart thermostat or TRV to heat only that space to working temperature rather than the whole house.
Hot water timer: Many WFH households unconsciously shift hot water usage to daytime. Setting a timer so the immersion heats overnight (on a night-rate tariff) can recover €80–€150/year.
Summary
| Usage profile | Best tariff type | |--------------|-----------------| | WFH only, no EV | Flat rate, best unit rate | | WFH + EV or heat pump | Night rate (overnight loads outweigh day premium) | | WFH + flexible appliance scheduling | TOU tariff with off-peak mid-day window | | WFH + solar panels | Export tariff with microgeneration payment |
The most important step is to use a higher-than-average kWh figure when comparing — and to review your tariff every 12 months, since new customer discounts expire and the market shifts regularly.