How Power to Switch Compares Energy Prices
Choosing a new energy tariff can seem complicated, particularly as suppliers now offer a wide range of tariffs, discounts and pricing structures. Power to Switch helps you find the best deal by comparing electricity, gas and dual fuel deals across all energy suppliers in Ireland.
To provide the most accurate comparison possible, we use the information you provide together with the latest tariff information published by energy suppliers.
Getting the Most Accurate Comparison
There are several ways you can compare energy prices. In general, the more accurate information you can provide, the more personalised your comparison is likely to be
For the most accurate comparison we recommend using one of the following options (listed from most to least accurate):
- Upload your Smart Meter Historical Data File (HDF) – Provides the most accurate comparison by using your actual smart meter usage throughout the year.
- Upload a recent energy bill – Uses your current supplier, tariff and energy usage to provide a personalised comparison.
- Enter your annual electricity or gas usage (kWh) – If you know your annual usage, we can estimate your annual costs using the figures you provide.
- Use average household consumption – If you don’t have your energy information available, you can still compare tariffs using average household usage figures.
Upload Smart Meter Data (HDF)
If you have a smart meter, you can upload your Historical Data File (HDF), available from ESB Networks or your supplier.
For further support on accessing your HDF file see our Guide to downloading your smart meter data.
Your HDF contains detailed information showing how and when electricity is used every day throughout the year. Rather than relying on estimated usage, we can use your actual consumption profile across the year to provide a more personalised comparison.
This allows us to use your actual home energy use to:
- compare against all other smart and time-of-use tariffs in the market;
- assess day, night, peak and EV charging rates;
- include export payments where available;
- estimate annual costs using your actual usage profile; and
- find deals which match your usage profile and save you money
You can be confident that we match deals based on your actual usage. You’ll also have the option to return and upload a HDF containing a full 365 days of data for an even more accurate comparison. You’ll have the option to return and upload a more complete file.
Upload a Recent Energy Bill
Uploading a recent bill is one of the quickest and easiest ways to receive a personalised comparison. When you upload your bill, we identify information such as:
- your current supplier and tariff;
- energy usage and billing period;
- unit rates, standing charges and other charges; and
- your current energy costs.
Most energy bills only cover a specific billing period rather than a full year. To estimate your annual energy usage, we use the energy shown on your bill together with published industry consumption profiles and seasonal usage patterns relevant to your meter and tariff type. This provides a more representative estimate of your annual energy usage and helps improve the accuracy of your comparison.
Enter Your Usage Manually
If you know your annual electricity or gas usage, simply enter it during the comparison process.
We’ll use the figures you provide to estimate your annual energy costs across available tariffs.
If you know your electricity or gas usage (kWh), you can enter it directly to the comparison. Whether you provide your usage on an annual, bi-monthly or monthly basis, we’ll estimate your annual energy consumption to ensure every tariff is compared on a like-for-like basis.
Alternatively, if you know how much you typically spend (€) rather than how many kWh you use, you can enter your electricity or gas spend. We’ll estimate your energy consumption using your current tariff information before comparing available tariffs.
Use Average Household Consumption
Don’t worry if you don’t know your annual usage. You can still compare tariffs using average household consumption figures.
These figures are based on typical annual household consumption values published by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) and provide a useful starting point where your own energy usage isn’t available. The current typical annual consumption values are 4,200 kWh for electricity and 11,000 kWh for gas.
These average consumption figures are intended as a guide and may not reflect your own household’s energy use. Comparisons based on your own energy bill, smart meter data or annual energy usage will generally provide a more personalised and accurate estimate of your annual costs and potential savings.
How We Calculate Your Comparison
Before comparing alternative tariffs, we first estimate what you’re likely to pay over the next 12 months if you remain with your current supplier and tariff.
We then compare this with the estimated annual cost of every available tariff using the same energy usage assumptions, ensuring every comparison is carried out on a fair, like-for-like basis.
Depending on the information you provide we may base your comparison on your smart meter data, an uploaded bill, the energy usage you entered or average household consumption figures.
When estimating the cost of your current tariff, we take account of the tariff rate and charges, any remaining fixed-term discounts, and any announced price changes that will take effect during the comparison period. This helps provide a representative estimate of what you are likely to pay over the next 12 months.
Where complete information is not available, we may apply reasonable assumptions using the information you provide together with published supplier tariff information to produce a representative annual comparison.
What We Take into Account
Energy Charges
- Electricity or gas unit rates
- Smart, day, night, peak and other Time of Use (e.g. EV) rates
- Dynamic tariff rates
- Export payments for microgeneration
Additional Charges
- Standing charges
- VAT
- Public Service Obligation (PSO) charges
Tariff Features
- Payment and billing method
- Contract length and exit fees
- Tariff and Supplier Terms and Conditions
- Other tariff features that may affect your annual costs
Discounts, Promotions and Price Changes
- Recurring discounts
- Fixed-term discounts that end during the comparison period
- Announced supplier price changes that take effect during the comparison period
- Cashback and promotional offers (shown separately where applicable)
Smart and Time-of-Use Tariffs
Many suppliers now offer tariffs that charge different prices depending on when electricity is used. These include Smart tariffs and Time-of-Use tariffs.
Where smart meter data is available, we use your actual electricity usage profile to estimate how these tariffs may affect your annual costs. This provides a more personalised comparison than relying solely on estimated annual usage.
Dynamic Tariffs
Dynamic tariffs work differently from traditional electricity tariffs.
Part of the electricity unit rate changes regularly in line with wholesale electricity market prices, meaning prices can rise or fall throughout the day. If you choose to include dynamic tariffs in your comparison, we estimate annual costs using your available energy consumption together with a profile of wholesale electricity costs and the supplier’s dynamic tariff pricing structure.
As future wholesale electricity prices cannot be known in advance, comparisons are based on representative historic wholesale market prices to estimate what a dynamic tariff may have cost over a typical year. Actual future costs may be higher or lower depending on wholesale electricity market prices and your own energy usage.
Before choosing a dynamic tariff, it’s important to understand both the potential savings and the possibility that prices can increase as well as decrease.
How We Calculate Savings
Estimated savings are calculated by comparing:
- the estimated annual cost of remaining with your current supplier and tariff; and
- the estimated annual cost of each available tariff.
Both calculations use the same annual energy usage assumptions to ensure a fair comparison.
The savings shown are intended as a guide to help you compare available offers. Your actual savings will depend on factors such as your future energy usage and any future supplier price changes.
Discounts, Cashback and Promotional Offers
Where recurring discounts form part of a tariff, these are included when estimating annual costs.
If your current tariff or discount is due to end during the comparison period, we take this into account when estimating your annual energy costs. Any revert rate that applies when your current discount ends will be factored into your comparisons.
Cashback and other promotional incentives are displayed separately from the estimated annual cost so you can clearly distinguish between the underlying cost of the tariff and any additional offers available from suppliers.
Supplier Price Changes
Energy suppliers occasionally announce changes to their prices.
Where announced tariff changes fall within the comparison period, we update our calculations using the revised tariff information from the relevant effective date. Where appropriate, we’ll highlight within your comparison results that a tariff change has been taken into account.
Understanding Your Results
Your comparison results are designed to help you quickly compare available tariffs and understand both the estimated annual cost and the features of each plan.
For every tariff, you’ll be able to view information such as:
- Estimated annual cost
- Estimated annual savings
- Supplier and tariff name
- Contract length
- Payment method requirements
- Exit fees (where applicable)
- Cashback and promotional offers (where applicable)
- Other key tariff features and eligibility requirements
If you’d like to explore a tariff in more detail, simply select ‘Further Information’ or ‘See Calculation’.
The detailed tariff information explains key features of the tariff, while the calculation breakdown shows how the estimated annual cost and savings have been calculated. This includes a comparison of your current tariff against the new tariff together with the unit rates, standing charges, VAT, PSO charges, discounts, cashback and other applicable charges used within the comparison.
This additional information helps you understand exactly how the comparison has been calculated, allowing you to make a more informed switching decision.
Important Information
Power to Switch aims to provide accurate, independent and transparent energy comparisons using the latest tariff information available.
All comparison results are estimates based on the information available at the time your comparison is carried out. Actual bills may differ depending on your energy usage, supplier tariff changes, weather conditions and other factors.
Power to Switch is accredited by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) and operates in accordance with the CRU Accreditation Framework for Price Comparison Websites.
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