Updated 23 September 2026
NI electricity prices have gone up again. Here's what it does to charging your EV.
Every household electricity supplier in Northern Ireland has put its prices up in 2026, and Share Energy goes again on 1 October. If you drive an electric car, the headline percentages tell you less than you'd think. What matters is which rate your car is charging on, and for most of us that decision is worth far more than this year's rises.
Free · No obligation · Takes about 60 seconds
The short version
- Six rises this year, no cuts: all five NI suppliers have raised prices, Share Energy twice.
- Night rates are still under 18p: Share EV 17.19p from 1 October, Click Day & Night 17.291p, Power NI EV Nightshift 17.79p, all including VAT.
- Standard rates now run 32p to 42p: charging on one costs roughly twice what the same energy costs overnight.
Unit rates read 23 September 2026 from each supplier's own tariff page and the Consumer Council's comparison table.
News, 8 October 2026
The £63 electricity discount: what it means if you charge an EV
Every eligible NI household gets £63 off electricity this winter under the Department for the Economy's Household Electricity Discount Scheme. You do not apply. From 6 October your supplier adds a £60 credit before VAT (£63 in total) if you get a bill, and keypad customers get the £63 as extra credit the next time they top up. It is not means-tested and it is not based on how much electricity you use.
For an EV driver that last point matters: the credit is flat, so it does not change which tariff is cheapest for charging. On Power NI's EV Nightshift night rate of 17.79p it covers about 354 units, roughly six full charges of a 60kWh battery (what £63 buys on every NI tariff). The night rate is still where the real saving sits. Further discounts are planned for 2027 and 2028, with the amounts to be confirmed. Source: Department for the Economy. If you heat with oil, the winter bill support guide on Compare Solar NI covers the oil card as well.
Every NI electricity price rise in 2026
The bill impact is each supplier's own figure for a typical household on its standard tariff. Customers on a fixed price deal keep their agreed rate until the fix ends.
| Supplier | Rise | From | Typical bill impact | Households affected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Click Energy | 9.5% | 1 April 2026 | about £108 a year | about 33,000 |
| Share Energy | 26.4% | 1 April 2026 | about £213 a year | about 22,500 |
| Power NI | 6.2% | 1 July 2026 | about £64 a year | about 521,000 |
| SSE Airtricity | 6.2% | 1 August 2026 | about £76 a year | about 134,000 |
| Budget Energy | 9.5% | 4 August 2026 | about £122 a year | about 105,000 |
| Share Energy | 12.6% | 1 October 2026 | about £129 a year | about 40,000 |
Sources: supplier announcements as published by the Consumer Council and the Irish News. Power NI puts its own July figure at about £5 a month. Click Energy has also withdrawn all of its discounted tariffs this year. Its unit rates have not changed since April, whatever you may have read about a July rise.
Why it keeps happening
Gas. Around 30% of Northern Ireland's electricity is generated from natural gas, so when wholesale gas moves, our electricity bills follow a few months later. The Utility Regulator reported gas peaking at just over £1.70 a therm during the escalation of Middle East tensions this year, against roughly 80p before it. By September UK gas futures had reached £1.96 a therm, the highest price since December 2022, and that is what sits behind Share Energy's October rise. Suppliers have also pointed to higher network and market charges, which land on every supplier at once.
I'd be careful with anyone promising prices will drop back soon. No NI supplier has cut its standard electricity price in 2026. Power NI is the only price-controlled supplier, its tariff is scrutinised by the Utility Regulator, and as of September it was not expecting another change imminently. Plan around today's rates and treat any cut as a bonus.
What the rises did to the EV tariffs
Here's the part the headlines miss. The percentage rise is applied to your whole bill, but an EV driver charging at home is really buying two different products: the electricity the house uses during the day, and the electricity the car takes overnight. The overnight part is where the car's energy should be coming from, and it's still priced at roughly half the day rate.
Share Energy's October rise is the one that moves the EV market. Its Share EV night rate goes from 15.56p to 17.19p a unit including VAT, up 10.5%, and the day rate from 32.04p to 36.49p, up 13.9%. Share EV stays the cheapest verified night rate in Northern Ireland, but only just. Its lead over Power NI's EV Nightshift shrinks from 2.23p a unit to 0.60p, and over Click Energy's Day & Night to about a tenth of a penny.
NI night rates for EV charging from 1 October 2026
Including 5% VAT, excluding-VAT figure in brackets. Power NI rates are its monthly direct debit with online billing tier; Click Energy's are the same on Bill Pay and Keypad.
| Tariff | Night rate | Day rate | Night window (winter) | 60kWh overnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share EV (from 1 Oct) | 17.19p (16.37p) | 36.49p (34.75p) | 1am to 8am | £10.31 |
| Click Energy Day & Night | 17.291p (16.468p) | 39.771p (37.877p) | 1am to 8am (Keypad: midnight to 8am) | £10.37 |
| Power NI EV Nightshift | 17.79p (16.94p) | 37.20p (35.43p) | 1am to 8am | £10.67 |
Summer windows run an hour later (2am to 9am; Click Keypad 1am to 9am). SSE Airtricity and Budget Energy do not publish rates we could verify for a dual-rate tariff, so they are not listed. Power NI's rates already include its July rise. For standing charges, payment tiers and the single-rate EV Anytime option, see our comparison of every NI EV tariff.
The number that matters more than any rise
Take a 60kWh charge, roughly a full battery for a lot of the cars on NI driveways. Share Energy's October rise adds about 98p to it overnight, from £9.34 to £10.31. That's the size of this year's rises for a driver who charges at night.
Now put the same 60kWh on a standard 24-hour rate, which is what happens when you plug in at 6pm on a charger that starts straight away. On Power NI's monthly direct debit rate of 32.10p it costs £19.26. On SSE Airtricity's standard 40.79p it's £24.47, and on Budget Energy's standard 42.01p it's £25.21. The gap between charging at the right time and the wrong time is £9 to £15 a charge, somewhere between nine and fifteen times what October adds.
Over a year that adds up fast. If your car takes 2,000kWh from home, which is somewhere around 7,000 miles for a typical EV, that's about £344 at Share EV's new night rate against £840 at Budget's standard rate. That's about £500 a year sitting in the timing, and no supplier's price announcement changes it.
What I'd do this month
If you're on a standard single-rate tariff and charging at home, get onto a night rate. You'll need a day and night meter, and our guide to getting a day and night meter fitted covers who arranges it with NIE Networks. Then make sure the charger itself starts inside the window. A smart charger holds the charge until 1am and finishes by 8am, so you never pay the day rate for the car.
If you're already on Share EV, stay put. Even after 1 October it has the lowest verified night rate in NI. Just know the day rate is now 36.49p, so if the house uses a lot of power during the day, run the numbers against Power NI's EV Anytime flat rate of 30.53p before assuming you're on the best deal.
If you're on a fixed price deal, check when it ends. Budget Energy confirmed its fixed price customers were not affected by the August rise, but they'll move onto the new variable rates when the fix finishes. Put the date in the diary and compare a month before. A fixed-term discount is a different thing: the discount is fixed, the rate underneath it still moves.
Whatever tariff you pick, the Consumer Council's point stands: paying a standard tariff on receipt of a bill is the most expensive way to pay for electricity in NI. Monthly direct debit with online billing is the cheapest tier at most suppliers.
A night rate only helps once the charger waits for it
We match you with up to three vetted NI installers who fit smart chargers scheduled to the 1am window from day one, so the car charges at 17p a unit rather than 32p to 42p.
- Up to 3 vetted, NICEIC-registered NI installers
- NIE Networks notification included as standard
- Your OZEV grant checked before you commit
- Scheduling set up for your tariff's night window
Get 3 quotes for a smart charger
No obligation. We match you with up to 3 NICEIC-registered installers covering your area.
Request received
Thanks for that. We're matching you with up to 3 NICEIC-registered installers covering your area.
What happens next
- We share your request with up to 3 vetted installers in your area.
- Each installer contacts you directly with their quote.
- You compare and choose. No obligation, and we never charge you.
Nothing more to do for now. Questions in the meantime? [email protected]
NI electricity price rises: common questions
What is the £63 electricity discount in Northern Ireland?
The Department for the Economy's Household Electricity Discount Scheme gives every eligible NI household £63 off electricity, paid automatically from 6 October 2026. Bill payers see a £60 credit before VAT (£63 in total); keypad customers receive £63 of extra credit when they next top up. It is flat, not based on usage, so it does not change which EV tariff is cheapest. At Power NI's EV Nightshift night rate of 17.79p it covers about 354 units, roughly six full 60kWh charges. Further discounts are planned for 2027 and 2028.
Which NI electricity suppliers have put their prices up in 2026?
All five. Click Energy rose 9.5% and Share Energy 26.4% on 1 April, Power NI 6.2% on 1 July, SSE Airtricity 6.2% on 1 August, Budget Energy 9.5% on 4 August, and Share Energy rises again by 12.6% on 1 October 2026. No NI household electricity supplier has cut its standard price this year.
Why are electricity prices going up in Northern Ireland in 2026?
Wholesale gas. Around 30% of NI's electricity is generated from natural gas, and the Utility Regulator reported gas peaking at just over £1.70 a therm during the escalation of Middle East tensions, against roughly 80p before. By September UK gas futures had reached £1.96 a therm, the highest since December 2022. Suppliers have also pointed to higher network and market charges.
What is the cheapest night rate for charging an EV in NI after the rises?
On the rates we checked on 23 September 2026, Share EV at 17.19p a unit including VAT from 1 October, then Click Energy's Day & Night at 17.291p and Power NI's EV Nightshift at 17.79p (monthly direct debit with online billing). The gap between the three is now about 0.6p a unit, down from over 2p before Share's October rise.
How much more does it cost to charge an electric car in NI now?
It depends almost entirely on when you charge. A 60kWh charge on Share EV's night rate goes from about £9.34 to £10.31 on 1 October, roughly 98p more. The same 60kWh on Budget Energy's standard 24-hour rate of 42.01p costs about £25.21. When you charge matters far more than this year's rises.
Should I switch to an EV tariff because of the price rises?
If you charge at home and can charge overnight, yes, it is still the biggest lever you have. Every verified NI night rate is under 18p a unit, while standard 24-hour rates run from about 32p to 42p. You need a day and night meter and a charger that is scheduled to start inside the night window.
Take the rises out of your charging bill
Get up to three quotes from vetted NI installers for a smart charger that charges on the night rate, grant checked and NIE Networks notification handled.
Free · No obligation · Takes about 60 seconds