SSE Airtricity has announced standard variable household price increases for electricity and gas in the Republic of Ireland, effective 5 October 2026. The decision will see electricity unit rates increase by 9.4% and gas unit rates rise by 11.6%, along with a 6.1% increase in daily standing charges for electricity.

The price increases will impact approximately 296,000 standard variable customers. According to figures provided by the supplier, a typical electricity customer will experience an average bill increase of 8.9%, adding roughly €172 to annual costs, or €0.47 per day. Gas customers on average usage face a 9.3% bill increase, representing about €139 extra per year, or €0.38 per day. Dual-fuel customers will see their average annual bill rise by 9.1%, adding approximately €310 per year, or €0.85 per day. Gas standing charges will remain unchanged, and customers on fixed-rate contracts are not affected.

The supplier attributed the price adjustments to sustained volatility in global energy markets and higher system operator and network charges coming into effect in October. SSE Airtricity noted that wholesale gas prices have more than doubled over the preceding 12 months, driven largely by ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

In a statement, SSE Airtricity Managing Director Stephen Gallagher acknowledged that the news would be unwelcome for households, saying the supplier had worked to absorb rising costs but could no longer shield consumers from sustained market pressure. Gallagher added that the company remains committed to passing on future price cuts when possible and emphasized that accelerating the deployment of domestic clean power is key to insulating consumers from international market fluctuations.