Last updated: August 2026
Night rate electricity is the cheapest power most Irish homes will ever buy - and most households on it barely use it. With a smart meter and the right tariff, electricity in Ireland costs roughly 17-21c per kWh overnight against 35-38c during the day on a standard NightSaver plan, and 6-11c inside the 2-4 hour boost window of a dedicated EV tariff - a discount of 45-80% on the units you manage to shift. For a household with an EV, a battery, or just a delay button on the dishwasher, that gap is worth hundreds of euro a year. This guide covers the actual night-rate hours, how much cheaper the units really are, the higher-day-rate trap to check before switching, and how to squeeze the most from off-peak power.
⚡ Quick Summary
🌿 The hours: on typical Irish smart tariffs the night rate runs 11pm to 8am; the ordinary night rate is about 17-21c/kWh, and EV tariffs add a 2-4 hour boost window (typically 2am-5am) at 6-11c/kWh.
🌿 The gap: night units are commonly 50-60% cheaper than day units - and EV-tariff night windows are cheaper still.
🌿 You need a smart meter: time-of-use tariffs require one - ESB Networks fits them free on request.
🌿 The trap: smart tariffs often carry a higher day rate - they only pay if you genuinely shift usage into the cheap window.
🌿 Biggest winners: EV owners (a full charge for around €6-9 instead of €22), home batteries, storage heaters, immersion heaters and appliance timers (per-use costs here).
🌿 Peak warning: 5pm-7pm is the most expensive time on smart tariffs - avoid running heavy loads then.
🕚 How Irish Time-of-Use Tariffs Work
A smart meter records your usage in 30-minute intervals, which lets suppliers charge different prices at different times. A typical smart tariff splits the day into three bands:
🌿 Night rate (11pm-8am): the cheapest band - often 50-60% below the day rate, because national demand collapses overnight while wind generation keeps running.
🌿 Day rate (8am-5pm and 7pm-11pm): the standard band, around 32-33c on typical 2026 tariffs.
🌿 Peak rate (5pm-7pm): the priciest band, covering the evening demand spike - on some tariffs 35-45c.
On top of these, dedicated EV tariffs offer a deeper 2-4 hour boost window at 6-11c per kWh (in 2026: Pinergy 5.99c 2-5am, Bord Gáis 8.45c, Energia 8.87c 2-6am, Electric Ireland 9.94-10.88c 2-4am), designed for car charging but usable by anything you can run at that hour. Exact windows and rates vary by supplier - our energy providers comparison lists who offers what.
💶 What the Night Rate Actually Saves
The saving is the gap between bands multiplied by the units you shift. Real examples at 2026 rates:
🌿 EV charging: a 60 kWh battery costs about €6-9 on an EV tariff versus €22 on the day rate - over 15,000 km a year that is hundreds of euro. Pair it with a home EV charger with scheduled charging.
🌿 Washing machine, dryer and dishwasher: shifting ~5 kWh a day of appliance load from day to night at a 20c gap saves about €1 a day - €365 a year - from delay buttons alone.
🌿 Immersion water heating: heating your tank overnight instead of at teatime turns one of the house's hungriest loads into one of the cheapest - see our hot water costs guide for the numbers.
🌿 Home battery: charge it overnight at 17-21c (or 6-11c in an EV boost window) and run the house off it at peak time - the arbitrage that can halve a battery's payback period. Full maths in our home battery guide.
⚠️ The Higher-Day-Rate Trap
Smart tariffs are not automatically cheaper. Suppliers typically fund the cheap night window with a day rate above the standard 24-hour tariff - so a household that shifts nothing can end up paying more after switching. Before you move:
🌿 Count your shiftable load: EV, immersion, washing, dishwasher, battery - if these are a big share of your usage, a smart tariff wins clearly.
🌿 Check your actual profile: your smart meter data (in your supplier app or via ESB Networks) shows exactly how much you already use at night - our smart meter guide explains how to read it.
🌿 Compare the whole tariff: night rate, day rate, peak rate, standing charge - not just the headline night price.
🌿 Mind the peak: if your household's life happens at 5-7pm - dinner, showers, dryer - a peak rate of 35-45c can eat the night-time gains.
🔌 Getting on a Night Rate, Step by Step
🌿 Step 1: Get a smart meter if you don't have one - ESB Networks is rolling them out nationwide and installation is free on request (about 2 million Irish homes already have one).
🌿 Step 2: Pull 12 months of usage data from your supplier's app and see how much you could realistically shift.
🌿 Step 3: Compare smart and EV tariffs across suppliers on the whole price structure - switching supplier at the same time usually unlocks a new-customer discount of 20%+.
🌿 Step 4: Automate the shift: EV charging schedules, appliance delay timers, immersion timers, battery charge windows. Savings that rely on remembering rarely survive the winter.
📉 Dynamic Pricing: The Next Step
Since June 2026, the CRU requires all major suppliers to offer Dynamic Price Plans, where the rate changes every 30 minutes with the wholesale market. On windy nights electricity can be extraordinarily cheap; in calm cold snaps, expensive. Dynamic plans suit engaged households with automation (EV, battery, smart controls) - and they are the direction Irish pricing is heading as wind expands. Our demand response explainer covers the thinking behind it.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
🔹 What time is night rate electricity in Ireland?
On typical smart tariffs, 11pm to 8am. Dedicated EV tariffs often add a deeper discount window in the small hours (commonly around 2am-5am) - exact times vary by supplier and tariff.
🔹 How much cheaper is night rate electricity?
Night units typically run 50-60% below the day rate. EV-tariff boost windows at 6-11c/kWh are 70-85% below a 35-38c day rate.
🔹 Do I need a smart meter for a night rate?
Yes - time-of-use tariffs need a smart meter to record when you use electricity. ESB Networks installs them free on request.
🔹 Is a night rate worth it without an EV?
Often, but check the numbers: with a higher day rate on most smart tariffs, you need meaningful shiftable load (immersion, appliances on timers, a battery) to come out ahead.
🔹 What should I run at night to save money?
In rough order of impact: EV charging, home battery charging, immersion water heating, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer on delay timers.
🔹 What is a Dynamic Price Plan?
A tariff whose price changes every 30 minutes with the wholesale market, mandatory for major suppliers to offer since June 2026. Cheap when wind is strong, dear in cold calm spells - best suited to automated, flexible households.
📚 Related Guides
🌿 Best Electricity Provider
🌿 Electricity Prices & Average Bill
🌿 Pay-As-You-Go Electricity
🌿 MPRN & GPRN Numbers
🌿 ESB Smart Meter Error
🌿 Appliance Running Costs
🌿 Hot Water Costs
🌿 Electric Heater Running Costs
🌿 Dehumidifiers
👉 All guides and calculators
Climate Jargon Buster is an independent resource providing plain-English information on climate, energy and sustainability topics for an Irish audience. Rates, hours and savings are indicative, vary by supplier and tariff, and change over time - always compare current tariffs before switching. This site is independent of all energy suppliers and the CRU.