The Short Answer
As of May 2026, the cheapest EV rate in Ireland is Pinergy EV Drive Time at 5.99c/kWh (02:00-05:00), followed by Bord Gáis at 8.45c, Energia Smart Drive at 8.87c (02:00-06:00) and Electric Ireland EV Night Boost at 9.94c (02:00-04:00). But the cheapest EV window doesn't automatically mean the cheapest bill: each plan pairs that window with different day rates and standing charges, so the right plan depends on how much you drive and how much electricity the rest of the house uses during the day.
The EV Tariffs Compared
These are the EV-specific smart tariffs we track in our charging cost calculator, checked May 2026. All require a smart meter.
| Plan | EV rate | Window | Charge added per night* | Cost per 100km** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinergy EV Drive Time | 5.99c/kWh | 02:00-05:00 (3h) | ~22 kWh / ~140km | €0.96 |
| Bord Gáis Energy EV | 8.45c/kWh | 4-hour overnight window | ~30 kWh / ~185km | €1.35 |
| Energia Smart Drive | 8.87c/kWh | 02:00-06:00 (4h) | ~30 kWh / ~185km | €1.42 |
| Electric Ireland EV Night Boost | 9.94c/kWh | 02:00-04:00 (2h) | ~15 kWh / ~95km | €1.59 |
*On a 7.4kW home charger (≈7.4 kWh per hour) for a 16 kWh/100km EV. **At 16 kWh/100km.
SSE Airtricity and Flogas also run EV plans; we haven't listed rates we haven't verified this cycle, so check their current terms directly if you're already a customer there. Rates move — always confirm the live rate and window on the supplier's site before switching.
Why the Cheapest Rate Isn't Always the Cheapest Bill
Three things decide what you actually pay across a year:
1. The window length vs your driving
Pinergy's 5.99c is the headline, but it's a 3-hour window — about 22 kWh a night on a 7.4kW charger. For a typical 16,000km/year commute (about 7 kWh a day) that's ample. For a high-mileage driver, two EVs sharing one charger, or someone who often arrives home nearly empty, a 4-hour window at 8.45c can beat a 3-hour window at 5.99c simply because more of the charging happens at the cheap rate instead of spilling into dearer hours.
2. The day rate and standing charge
EV plans subsidise the night window with day rates that are often at or above standard plans. A household that uses a lot of daytime electricity — home office, electric showers, no solar — can lose more on day units than it gains on the EV window. Compare the whole plan against your annual usage, not just the EV rate.
3. How much you actually charge at home
The gap between plans is cents per kWh; the gap between charging at home versus public charging is a multiple. Whatever plan you pick, moving your charging onto any EV night rate is the big win: roughly €216/year at 8.45c versus €819/year at day rates for average mileage — and versus about €1,925/year in petrol. The plan choice fine-tunes the saving; the home charger and the schedule create it.
Which Plan for Which Driver
- Predictable daily commute (up to ~140km/day): Pinergy's 3-hour window at 5.99c is hard to beat — the lowest cost per kilometre in the country right now.
- High mileage, or two EVs on one charger: a 4-hour window (Bord Gáis or Energia) gets more energy in at the cheap rate per night.
- Heavy daytime household usage: run the full-plan comparison — a slightly dearer EV rate with a better day rate can win overall. Switching sites like the CRU-accredited comparison services let you model annual cost across plans.
- No smart meter yet: request one through your supplier (ESB Networks installs them free). Until it's in, the legacy NightSaver rate (~14.8c overnight) still halves your charging cost versus day rates.
Switching Is the Easy Part
Changing electricity plan is a billing change, not an electrical one — no visit, no rewiring, typically done in days. The piece people miss is the charger schedule: the savings only happen if the car charges inside the window. A smart charger handles this — set 02:00-05:00 once in the app and plug in whenever you get home. That scheduling capability is also why SEAI's €300 home charger grant only covers smart chargers on its register.
Don't Have the Home Charger Yet?
The tariff is step two. Step one is the charger: our €1,299 all-in installation (€999 after the SEAI grant) includes a 7.4kW smart charger with scheduling built in, installation by a Safe Electric registered electrician, and the grant paperwork handled. Then pick your plan from the table above and let the schedule do the work. Run your own numbers — your mileage, your car, your tariff — in the EV cost calculator, or read how night-rate charging works for the mechanics.