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Ireland Hits EU-Highest Power Prices, Households Pay €480 More

5/7/2026

25 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Ireland's electricity price reached 40.42 cents per kilowatt hour, the highest in the European Union.
The average Irish household now pays about €480 more per year for electricity than the EU average.
Over 40 % of Ireland’s electricity comes from gas, whose price has tripled since the Ukraine war.
Aging, small-scale plants, a weakly connected grid, dispersed one-off homes and rapid data-centre growth raise network upkeep costs.

History

Historical Context

The 1973 OPEC embargo caused oil prices to quadruple to $12 a barrel by 1974, prompting the European Commission to draft its first Community energy directives and spurring Western nations toward imported fuels. Ireland now sources over 40 % of its electricity from gas, a pattern echoed today as the Ukraine war triples prices and strains EirGrid.

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Story summary

Ireland's electricity price reached 40.42 cents per kilowatt hour, the highest in the European Union.
The average Irish household now pays about €480 more per year for electricity than the EU average.
Over 40 % of Ireland’s electricity comes from gas, whose price has tripled since the Ukraine war.
Aging, small-scale plants, a weakly connected grid, dispersed one-off homes and rapid data-centre growth raise network upkeep costs.

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