Public charging prices matter because “electric is cheaper than petrol” is only reliably true when you specify where the electricity comes from. SEAI’s national fuel comparison uses a blended EV assumption dominated by cheap home charging. A driver using public rapid chargers for most energy can have a very different cost per kilometre.
From 1 July 2026, ESB ecars lists Irish PAYG prices of €0.60/kWh on standard AC and €0.72/kWh on fast/high-power DC. Contactless rates are €0.61 and €0.73 respectively. Membership costs €4.79 per month with a 12-month minimum term and reduces the per-kWh rate to €0.55 AC and €0.67 DC.
Cost per 100 km Examples
At 18 kWh/100 km before charging losses:
- €0.55/kWh = €9.90/100 km
- €0.60/kWh = €10.80/100 km
- €0.67/kWh = €12.06/100 km
- €0.72/kWh = €12.96/100 km
At 22 kWh/100 km, common in a larger EV or motorway/winter use, €0.72/kWh becomes €15.84/100 km.
These are energy-only examples and real charging losses increase the amount billed.
Compare With SEAI’s Blended Figure Carefully
SEAI’s Q4 2026 fuel comparison estimates electric driving at €3.29/100 km, petrol at €10.06 and diesel at €9.88 for a C-segment vehicle. But the EV assumption uses 90% home night-rate charging and 10% public fast/high-power charging.
A driver with no home charger should not use €3.29 as their personal estimate.
Membership Break-Even
The ESB membership discount is €0.05/kWh on both listed AC and DC rates versus PAYG. A €4.79 monthly fee therefore requires roughly 96 kWh of ESB charging per month just to recover the subscription through that discount, before considering other benefits.
If you use less, PAYG may be cheaper. If you use much more, membership can make sense.
Overstay Fees Matter
ESB charges €0.50 per minute after 45 minutes on fast/high-power chargers and after 10 hours on standard charging, capped at €22.50. That fee can overwhelm the energy saving if you forget to move the car.
Public charging therefore has a time-management cost as well as an electricity cost.
Different Networks Have Different Prices
Ireland has multiple operators. Do not use ESB pricing as a universal national tariff. Check the networks along your actual routes and whether contactless, app or subscription pricing differs.
Bottom Line
Public EV charging can be convenient and sometimes essential, but it is not automatically cheap. For a used-EV buyer, calculate the expected percentage of home, work, AC public and DC rapid energy.
The higher your public-rapid share, the more charging efficiency and real-world consumption matter to the ownership budget.
Buying Implication
If you will rely heavily on public DC charging, do not choose an EV only by advertised range. Look at real motorway efficiency, charging curve, battery preconditioning, peak charging speed and how often you will arrive at a charger with a low enough battery to use the fastest rate.
A cheaper used EV with slow rapid charging can be fine for home charging and short trips, but frustrating for regular public-charging use. A more efficient car can also beat a larger-battery car on cost if it needs fewer kWh to cover the same distance.
