GoSwitch publishes a monthly Irish Energy Price Index — a single number that tells you what the average Irish household is currently paying for electricity and gas. This post explains what the index measures, why it matters, and how it compares to official statistics.
What Is the GoSwitch Energy Price Index?
The GoSwitch Energy Index is a monthly benchmark calculated from live tariff data across all 7 major Irish energy suppliers. It answers the question: what would the typical Irish household pay for electricity right now, based on current available tariffs?
Unlike the CSO's energy price index (which tracks price indices and may lag by several months), GoSwitch's index is updated every time tariff data refreshes — typically daily — and reflects the actual cost a switching consumer would face today.
What It Measures
Electricity index: The average annual cost for a household using 4,200 kWh/year, calculated across all active electricity tariffs from all 7 suppliers. This is the CSO's average Irish household electricity usage figure.
Gas index: The average annual cost for a household using 11,000 kWh/year of gas, calculated across all active gas tariffs. Based on SEAI average household gas consumption.
Cheapest available: The lowest annual cost currently on the market for each fuel type.
Market spread: The difference between the cheapest and most expensive tariff — the maximum potential saving from switching.
Why It Matters
Irish energy suppliers change tariffs frequently and do not always announce changes prominently. The result is that the cost difference between the cheapest and most expensive electricity tariff in Ireland can quietly grow to €300–€600/year without most consumers noticing.
The GoSwitch Energy Index gives:
- Journalists and researchers a citable monthly number for Irish household energy costs
- Households a benchmark to check whether their bill is above or below the market average
- Policymakers an independent signal of market-level price movements
June 2026 Index
Visit the live index page for the current month's figures:
How It Compares to Official Figures
The CSO publishes the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for energy, which includes electricity and gas price indices. These are broad indices that track average price levels and are published monthly with a 3–6 week lag.
GoSwitch's index differs in several important ways:
| | GoSwitch Energy Index | CSO Energy CPI | |--|----------------------|----------------| | Update frequency | Daily (live tariff refresh) | Monthly (with lag) | | What it measures | Absolute annual cost in euros | Price index (relative to base year) | | Includes discounts | Yes — new customer discounts included | Varies | | Usage basis | Standard Irish household (CSO/SEAI) | Weighted basket | | Coverage | 7 retail suppliers, residential only | Broader energy basket |
Neither index is "better" — they measure different things. The CSO index is more rigorous for macroeconomic analysis. GoSwitch's index is more useful for a household asking: "what should I be paying for electricity right now?"
Using the Index for Media Coverage
GoSwitch makes the Energy Index data available as a public JSON API:
https://switchwise-production.up.railway.app/v1/energy-index
Journalists and researchers are welcome to cite this data with attribution to GoSwitch.ie. The data refreshes hourly and is available without authentication.
For press enquiries or to request historical index data, use the contact page.
Why Electricity Prices in Ireland Are High
Ireland's electricity prices are consistently among the highest in the EU. The main structural reasons:
Island grid isolation: Ireland cannot easily import or export electricity via interconnectors, making the grid more expensive to balance.
Renewable integration costs: High wind penetration (among the highest in Europe) requires significant grid flexibility and backup generation.
PSO levy: The Public Service Obligation levy funds peat generation, renewable energy supports, and security of supply measures. See our PSO levy guide.
Market size: Seven suppliers in a small market creates real competition but cannot achieve the economies of scale of larger European markets.
Despite these structural factors, the spread between the cheapest and most expensive tariff remains large because suppliers compete intensely for new customers. The household that switches regularly captures most of that competitive intensity; the household that stays passively funds it.