Cheap Northern Ireland electricity

Energy bills have gone up, but some can still switch and save on electricity

Over 800,000 households use electricity in Northern Ireland, with just over half on a standard credit meter and the rest on prepay (for example, topping up with a key or card).

While there are just five electricity firms supplying households, it's still worth checking if you can save by switching. Some can still save £100s/year switching from the most expensive tariff to the cheapest.

Pay by Direct Debit and manage your account online for the cheapest rates

While it's always worth checking if you can save by switching to a different electricity supplier, if you have a standard credit meter (so not prepayment) the biggest savings can often come from simply changing how you pay. Paying on receipt of bills, by post, is by the far the most expensive way of paying.

Yet choosing to pay by Direct Debit and managing your account online can net big savings with most energy suppliers.

How to find and switch to a cheaper electricity deal

If you're on prepay, here's how the cheapest deals stack up:

How to switch to a cheaper deal

Once you've found a cheaper deal, actually switching is straightforward, and there'll be no break in supply. The precise process depends on what kind of switch you're making:

• Switching to a different supplier? Contact the supplier you wish to switch to – you can call to switch or do it through its website. It'll sort out all the techy bits (and tell your current supplier you're leaving), then let you know when the switch is completed.
  

  You'll need your meter point reference number if you've a credit meter or your keypad premise number if you use prepay – both can be found on your latest bill. There's a 10 working day cooling-off period after you've started the switch, and it can take between two and four weeks to switch over from when you apply.
  

• Changing the way you pay? If you're on a credit meter and want to stick to your current tariff and simply change the way you pay – which can still result in significant savings – simply call your current supplier or do it through its website.

Quick questions

Most can't save much by switching gas

There are currently only two gas suppliers in Northern Ireland: Firmus Energy and SSE Airtricity. However, only some have the option of switching between these suppliers.

Whether you can switch depends on what area you're in, as supply in Northern Ireland is split into three regions: 

• The Greater Belfast area. This covers the Greater Belfast, Larne and East Down areas. SSE Airtricity and Firmus offer gas in this region, so you can switch. SSE is currently over £100 cheaper than Firmus, so it's worth checking if you can switch.

• The Ten Towns area. This covers Londonderry/Derry, Limavady, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine, Portstewart, Newry, Craigavon, Antrim, Banbridge and Armagh – gas is only supplied by Firmus, so you've no alternative.

• The West area. This is set to cover those in Artigarvan, Coalisland, Cookstown, Derrylin, Dungannon, Enniskillen, Magherafelt, Omagh and Strabane. Gas is fairly new to these areas, with only about 2,000 homes connected so far. Gas here is only supplied by SSE Airtricity.

Haggle or swap supplier to save on heating oil

Heating oil is the most popular heating fuel in Northern Ireland – more than two-thirds of households use oil rather than gas. Using and buying heating oil in Northern Ireland works in much the same way as it does in the rest of the UK. For full help, including brokers and comparison sites, see our Heating oil prices guide.

Heating oil prices

Quick question

Extra support from energy suppliers through the consumer charter

Extra support has been made available for Northern Ireland energy customers under a new voluntary 'energy charter' set up by the Utility Regulator, the Consumer Council, the Department for Communities, Department for the Economy, and gas and electricity suppliers. Under the current charter, which runs until 31 March 2025, energy suppliers will commit to:

• contributing to the hardship fund for households struggling to pay their bills;

• reducing debt repayment rates;

• ensuring customers on care registers will not be moved onto a pre-payment, unless they request it;

• guaranteeing households won't be switched onto a pre-payment meter between 1 December 2024 and 31 January 2025, unless they request it; and 

• improved communication between suppliers and customers.

Energy grants and discounts

• Winter fuel payment - Some pensioner households are entitled to up to £300 help towards their energy costs and is paid automatically to those eligible.

• Cold weather payments - you can get £25 to help with heating bills for each seven-day period of freezing weather during winter.

Energy efficiency can also help cut bills massively, and there are various schemes on offer from suppliers and the Government. Depending on your circumstances, you could get anything from a new boiler to better insulation, or a raft of other improvements.

Here are some of the main grants and offers available:

• Affordable Warmth Grant. If your annual household income is less than £23,000, you could be eligible for a grant to install a range of improvements, from insulation to heating systems and controls, and even a full conversion from heating oil to gas heating. You can find out more on the NI Direct website.

• Boiler Replacement Scheme. New applications are no longer being accepted for the scheme. If you've already received formal approval, you will still be able to get your boiler replaced. If you've submitted an application but not heard back, the NI Housing Executive (NIHE) will contact you.

• The Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP). This is generally only open to low income households in Northern Ireland. It provides funding for energy efficiency measures, such as boiler upgrades, new LED lights, smart heating controls and draught proofing. You can check the full list of NISEP Schemes available, identify the scheme you're interested in and use the contact details to apply.

If you need advice on any of the energy efficiency schemes available in Northern Ireland, you can contact the Northern Ireland Energy Advice service online, or call freephone 0800 111 4455.

How to complain if things go wrong

First complain to your supplier. According to Northern Ireland's code of practice for the energy market, suppliers are required to resolve complaints within three months. We've listed the contact details for each supplier below.

You can try calling your supplier initially – though if you get nowhere, try sending a formal email or letter. If the provider doesn't resolve the complaint, or you're not happy with the response, raise it with the Consumer Council – it has legal powers to act on your behalf and investigate your complaint.

While the Consumer Council isn't an ombudsman and can't make a ruling on your complaint, it can advocate on your behalf and work with the supplier to help reach a resolution. Electricity companies are required to respond to the Consumer Council within 10 days – so you should hear back shortly after this.

If that doesn't work, or the Consumer Council was unable to deal with your issue to your satisfaction, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Utility Regulator. The regulator can investigate the dispute and issue binding decisions on each complaint.