On one side: Electric Ireland, the country's largest energy supplier, a subsidiary of the state-owned ESB, with over 1.2 million residential customers and the broadest tariff range in the market. On the other: Community Power, a small cooperative that sources 100% of its electricity from Irish renewable generators and returns surplus revenue to its members and local communities.
These two suppliers represent different ends of the Irish energy market — one defined by scale and range, the other by ownership model and values. Here is how they compare on the things that actually affect your bill and your experience.
The Ownership Model
Electric Ireland is a commercial subsidiary of ESB, Ireland's state electricity company. It operates as a standard profit-driven energy retailer. Revenue goes to ESB Group, which is ultimately owned by the Irish government — so there is a public benefit element, but profit is the primary commercial driver.
Community Power is structured as an energy cooperative. Members own shares in the cooperative, and any surplus revenue is returned to members and local community funds rather than to external shareholders. The cooperative model means Community Power's primary obligation is to its members, not to a parent corporation's bottom line.
For customers who care about where their money goes, this distinction is meaningful. For those who care only about the unit rate, it is less so.
Green Credentials
This is where the contrast is sharpest.
Community Power supplies 100% renewable electricity, sourced from Irish wind and solar generators. This is not an offset or a certificate scheme — Community Power only sources from Irish renewable generators. As Ireland's first community energy cooperative, it was founded specifically to accelerate the shift to renewables and to keep the value of that energy in local communities.
Electric Ireland offers both standard and green tariffs. Their standard plans are not 100% renewable, though Electric Ireland does offer a dedicated eco tariff for customers who specifically want renewable electricity. If you choose a standard Electric Ireland tariff, your electricity is drawn from the general national grid mix, which includes fossil fuel generation.
If renewable electricity is your priority and you want to support Irish wind and solar directly, Community Power has a clear advantage. If you want to compare prices across both green and standard options, Electric Ireland's broader range lets you make that choice.
Tariff Range
Electric Ireland offers a much larger number of plans: standard electricity, eco/green electricity, night-rate options for EV owners and storage heater households, gas tariffs, and dual-fuel bundles. For households with specific needs — a smart meter, an electric vehicle, dual fuel — Electric Ireland has a tariff designed for the situation.
Community Power has a focused product range. They offer a smaller number of electricity plans. This simplicity is deliberate — as a cooperative focused on clean energy rather than market share growth, they are not trying to have a product for every situation. For the majority of households without specialist needs, the narrower range is not a drawback.
Price Comparison
This is where it gets interesting — because the community cooperative is not automatically more expensive.
Community Power's tariffs are competitively priced and sit in the middle of the Irish market for standard electricity usage. For the right household (average usage, no special requirements, priority on renewable sourcing), Community Power can be cheaper than Electric Ireland's equivalent green tariff.
Electric Ireland's range means their cheapest plan — typically a new customer discount on a standard tariff — will often undercut Community Power on headline price. But this comparison only holds if you are indifferent to whether your electricity is renewable.
If you are comparing Community Power against Electric Ireland's eco tariff (like for like on renewable sourcing), the gap narrows significantly — and sometimes reverses in Community Power's favour.
The only way to know for certain on the day you are switching is to compare live.
Customer Experience
Electric Ireland's scale brings well-developed online account management, a widely used app, and a large customer service operation. As the biggest supplier, they have the most complaints in absolute terms — but per customer, their ratings are broadly average for the sector.
Community Power, as a smaller and newer supplier, has a more direct relationship with customers. The cooperative model means members have a formal voice in how the business is run. Customer service is smaller-team but reportedly responsive.
Which Suits Which Household?
Choose Community Power if:
- Renewable electricity sourced from Irish generators is a priority
- You want to support a cooperative ownership model
- You want transparent, no-nonsense pricing without a large product catalogue
- You are a typical household without specialist tariff needs (no EV, no PAYG meter, no special night-rate requirement)
Choose Electric Ireland if:
- You want the broadest tariff choice, including night-rate and PAYG options
- You use both electricity and gas and want a dual-fuel bundle
- You want to compare eco vs standard tariffs from a single supplier
- Price is the sole driver and you want to include every option in the comparison
Both are legitimate choices. The best way to decide is to put them side by side on the same usage figure and let the annual cost speak for itself. GoSwitch shows both, along with every other active Irish supplier, ranked by what you would actually pay.