Home and public charging should be budgeted together if you use both. A cheap home unit rate does not describe a year that includes motorway stops, and a public-network membership can have a monthly fee. Compare metered energy, the actual payment product and extra charges.
What are the current ESB ecars prices?
The official Republic of Ireland price page, checked on 12 November 2026, shows PAYG at 70c/kWh for standard chargers up to 48 kW and 83c/kWh for fast/high-power chargers from 49 kW. Contactless Tap and Go is 72c and 85c respectively. These are different payment products.
Charge Lite is €4.79/month with 65c standard and 78c fast/high-power. Charge Smart is €6.99/month; its 21:00–07:00 off-peak rates are 52c standard and 66c fast/high-power, with on-peak rates of 65c and 78c. Check the official page before travelling. Other networks, roaming apps and Northern Ireland can use different prices.
What does a 20 kWh public stop cost?
At the reviewed PAYG rates, buying 20 metered kWh costs €14 on standard charging or €16.60 on fast/high-power charging, before applicable extra fees. At an illustrative home rate of 10c/kWh the same metered amount costs €2. At 30c it costs €6. These compare energy purchased, not identical charging times or guaranteed driving range.
When could a membership pay for itself?
Charge Lite saves 5c/kWh against PAYG in both charger categories at these rates. Dividing the €4.79 monthly fee by €0.05 gives about 95.8 kWh per month to recover that fee from energy savings alone. This assumes you would otherwise use PAYG on the same network; compare against your actual payment product.
Charge Smart's value depends on how much charging falls inside its overnight window. Compare its fee and each applicable rate using your real sessions. A lower price is less useful if the charging location or overnight parking does not fit your routine.
Which extra fees matter?
The official page lists a 50c/minute overstay fee after 10 hours on standard chargers or 45 minutes on fast/high-power chargers, capped at €22.50 per session. Read the current terms and parking signs. A car's slower charging limit does not by itself change the charger's published fee category or remove a time-based charge.
How do I estimate my annual mix?
Take an illustrative 2,844 metered kWh per year. Buying 90% at home at 10c/kWh and 10% at a public 83c/kWh gives a weighted 17.3c/kWh and about €492 in energy. All at 10c would be about €284; all at 83c about €2,361. Add membership, parking and session fees separately. These are scenarios, not an average Irish driver's bill.
Use the home/public calculator with your mileage, efficiency and receipts. For a PHEV, also enter electric distance share and petrol consumption. The home-cost guide explains losses and per-100 km comparisons.
What does this mean for a home charger?
Reliable off-street access can make scheduled home charging practical. Assess your home supply and route, then compare the whole electricity bill. Public charging remains useful for travel and households without home access. A lower energy price alone does not establish that installation is possible.
Ready to plan an installation?
For your own driveway or dedicated home parking, start a home assessment. Save your details and upload the property photos when ready. We check the supply, permissions and cable route before you book or pay. Compare current installed prices and grant terms. The installation price is paid upfront; an eligible SEAI grant is claimed separately after installation. Obtain grant approval before eligible expenditure or work.
For apartments, workplaces or shared commercial parking, use the short business enquiry. Tell us the site type, parking and intended users so we can identify the next survey or permission step.
Sources and worked examples reviewed 12 November 2026. Supplier offers and public charging prices can change. Follow the linked official terms and replace example inputs with your own figures.