NI household energy ‘cheaper than GB or Republic’

Figures from the Utility Regulator show NI household gas prices are among the cheapest in Europe

Households in Northern Ireland had cheaper gas and electricity compared to the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland during 2022.

However, the figures from the Utility Regulator showed NI businesses typically faced higher electricity costs compared to GB and the Republic.

The Regulator used a combination of official and commercial data to compare unit prices.

They suggest NI household gas prices were among the cheapest in Europe.

In the second half of last year, Northern Ireland’s domestic gas prices averaged 10.1p/kWh.

This was less than the typical EU price (12.2 p/kWh), the UK (12.5 p/kWh) and the Republic (13.3 p/kWh).

In the same period, Northern Ireland’s domestic electricity prices of 26.6 p/kWh ranked slightly above the typical EU price of 23.6p/kWh.

However, it was lower than the Republic of Ireland’s at 36.2 p/kWh, and significantly lower than the rest of the UK which is priced at 40.4 p/kWh.

Small businesses in NI were typically paying 35.3 p/kWh for their electricity which was higher than the typical EU price (24.9 p/kWh), higher than the rest of the UK (26.6 p/kWh) and also above the Republic (31.8 p/kWh).

Large and very customers were typically paying (22.4 p/kWh), higher than the typical EU price (17.1 p/kWh), the Republic (19.6 p/kWh) and the rest of the UK (21.6 p/kWh).

It is a feature of the electricity market design in Northern Ireland that households tend to pay less than the UK average but businesses pay more.