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Total metered electricity consumption was 31,900 GWh (gigawatt hours) in 2024, an increase of 4.3% compared with 2023 (See Table 1).
Large energy users used 31% of metered electricity consumption in 2024 (See Table 1).
Median residential electricity consumption rose by 2.3% in 2024 compared with 2023, with all counties showing an increase (See Table 5B).
Donegal had the lowest median residential electricity consumption in 2024 at 2,650 kilowatt hours (kWh), while Kildare had the highest median figure at 3,845 kWh (See Table 5B).
Around 10% of residential customers consumed less than 1,000 kWh in 2024, significantly less than the median consumption of 3,246 kWh (See Tables 5B and 7).
There was a 10% increase in the number of residential meters between 2015 and 2024. The highest increases were in counties adjacent to Dublin City, with residential meters in Kildare and Meath both up by 19%āÆ(See Table 6B).
Metered electricity consumption by stand-aloneāÆElectric VehiclesāÆ(EV)āÆcharge points rose by 43% from 23 GWh in 2023 to 33 GWh in 2024 (See Table 8).
There were 1.9 million residential customers with smart meters by the end of 2024, which is 83% of all residential meters (See Table 6D).
The customer type is defined by the DUoS group (Distribution Use of System) also referred to as tariff group in the release. The urban and rural āÆresidential DUoS groups include some small non-residential consumption such as newsagents and farms. Large Energy Users are a combination of DUoS groups DG8, DG9, DG10 and TCON. Please see Background Notes for more details.
The median, or midpoint, electricity consumption represents the usage of a typical customer within that category.
The allocation of customers to counties was mainly done using the customer file provided by ESB Networks. In some cases, where detailed information was not available, an estimate was made based on the placename.
| X-axis label | Urban Residential | Rural Residential | Large Energy Users | Other Non-Residential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 5.49 | 2.88 | 3.633 | 12.596 |
| 2016 | 5.486 | 2.911 | 4.09 | 12.869 |
| 2017 | 5.489 | 2.925 | 4.337 | 12.975 |
| 2018 | 5.644 | 3.027 | 4.762 | 13.297 |
| 2019 | 5.416 | 2.923 | 5.113 | 13.053 |
| 2020 | 6.01 | 3.22 | 5.589 | 12.236 |
| 2021 | 6.011 | 3.294 | 6.546 | 12.656 |
| 2022 | 5.668 | 3.095 | 7.831 | 13.229 |
| 2023 | 5.573 | 3.006 | 9.102 | 12.9 |
| 2024 | 5.849 | 3.101 | 9.897 | 13.055 |
Seasonal variations are most prominent in the residential sector. Quarterly median consumption in 2024 peaked between January and March at 884 kWh, compared with a low of 634 kWh from July to September (See Table 5A).
The non-residential sector has a more even distribution, with only slight variations in the share of energy use between different quarters (See Table 2B).
Residential metered electricity consumption was 8,951 GWh in 2024, a 4% increase compared with 2023 (See Table 2C). This figure is 3.8% lower than the peak residential consumption of 9,305 GWh in 2021.
Dublin postal districts had the highest proportion of residential consumption in 2024 at 19%, followed by Cork (12%), Dublin County (6%), Galway (6%) and Kildare (5%) (See Table 3B).
Median residential metered electricity consumption was 3,246 kWh in 2024, a 2% increase from the 3,174 kWh median residential consumption in 2023 (See Table 5A). The year with the highest residential annual median consumption was 2020 at 3,658 kWh.
| Median consumption | |
| Donegal | 2.65 |
| Leitrim | 2.7 |
| Mayo | 2.867 |
| Roscommon | 2.907 |
| Kerry | 3.015 |
| Sligo | 3.05 |
| Dublin Postal Districts | 3.059 |
| Clare | 3.118 |
| Longford | 3.214 |
| Cavan | 3.239 |
| Waterford | 3.246 |
| Louth | 3.256 |
| Limerick | 3.264 |
| Monaghan | 3.268 |
| Cork | 3.274 |
| Tipperary | 3.331 |
| Dublin County | 3.365 |
| Wexford | 3.389 |
| Galway | 3.441 |
| Kilkenny | 3.465 |
| Westmeath | 3.469 |
| Laois | 3.479 |
| Offaly | 3.484 |
| Carlow | 3.505 |
| Wicklow | 3.602 |
| Meath | 3.753 |
| Kildare | 3.845 |
Median residential metered electricity consumption was 3,246 kWh in 2024, a 2% increase from the 3,174 kWh median residential consumption in 2023 (See Tables 5B).
There was a 10% increase in the total number of residential meters between 2015 and 2024. The highest increases were in Kildare and Meath (both 19%) (See Table 6B). Dublin County was next highest at 18% followed by Wicklow at 15%. Laois and Louth both increased by 12% over the nine-year period. These figures indicate that the counties with the highest increase in the number of residential meters are those adjacent to Dublin city.
Overall smart meter coverage of residential customers is at 83%. The counties with the highest coverage are Kildare at 90%, Louth at 89%. The lowest coverage is seen in Donegal at 75% and Mayo at 69%.
Around 10% of residential customers consumed less than 1,000 kWh in 2024 which was less than one-third of the median consumption of 3,246 kWh (See Tables 5B and 7). Low metered electricity consumption can be a sign of energy poverty or of vacancy.
| Consumption size class | |
| 0<1,000kWh | 224.231 |
| 1,000<2,500kWh | 572.695 |
| 2,500<5,000kWh | 889.693 |
| 5,000<7,500kWh | 349.194 |
| 7,500<10,000kWh | 112.754 |
| 10,000kWh + | 92.555 |
Metered electricity consumption by stand-alone EV charge points increased by 43% from 23 GWh in 2023 to 33 GWh in 2024 (See Table 8). In 2015 to 2018, electricity consumption by stand-alone charge points was below half a gigawatt hour. In 2019, it was one GWh. This amount increased to 4 GWh in 2020 and to 7 GWh in 2021. The term stand-alone is being used here to indicate that the Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) is not being used for other purposes such as office or residential heating and lighting. The electricity consumption for charging EVs cannot be identified for meters with mixed use.
The peak metered electricity consumption demand period for large energy users occurred between 1pm and 3pm. The demand pattern is broadly even over the 24-hour daily period. This is in contrast to the peak daily demand of Metered Electricity Generation which occurs around 5pm to 7pm.
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| 00:00<00:15 | 73.3 | 85.9 | 93.8 |
| 00:15<00:30 | 73.2 | 85.9 | 93.7 |
| 00:30<00:45 | 73.1 | 85.8 | 93.5 |
| 00:45<01:00 | 73.3 | 86 | 93.9 |
| 01:00<01:15 | 73.2 | 85.9 | 93.9 |
| 01:15<01:30 | 73.2 | 85.9 | 93.8 |
| 01:30<01:45 | 73.1 | 85.8 | 93.7 |
| 01:45<02:00 | 73.3 | 86 | 94 |
| 02:00<02:15 | 73.2 | 85.9 | 93.9 |
| 02:15<02:30 | 73.2 | 85.9 | 93.8 |
| 02:30<02:45 | 73.1 | 85.8 | 93.7 |
| 02:45<03:00 | 73.3 | 86 | 94 |
| 03:00<03:15 | 73.2 | 85.9 | 93.9 |
| 03:15<03:30 | 73.1 | 85.9 | 93.9 |
| 03:30<03:45 | 73 | 85.8 | 93.7 |
| 03:45<04:00 | 73.2 | 86.1 | 94 |
| 04:00<04:15 | 73.1 | 85.9 | 94 |
| 04:15<04:30 | 73.1 | 85.9 | 93.9 |
| 04:30<04:45 | 73 | 85.8 | 93.8 |
| 04:45<05:00 | 73.3 | 86.2 | 94.2 |
| 05:00<05:15 | 73.2 | 86 | 94 |
| 05:15<05:30 | 73.2 | 86.1 | 94 |
| 05:30<05:45 | 73.2 | 86 | 94 |
| 05:45<06:00 | 73.5 | 86.4 | 94.4 |
| 06:00<06:15 | 73.5 | 86.4 | 94.3 |
| 06:15<06:30 | 73.6 | 86.4 | 94.4 |
| 06:30<06:45 | 73.5 | 86.3 | 94.3 |
| 06:45<07:00 | 73.8 | 86.7 | 94.8 |
| 07:00<07:15 | 73.8 | 86.7 | 94.7 |
| 07:15<07:30 | 73.8 | 86.8 | 94.8 |
| 07:30<07:45 | 73.8 | 86.7 | 94.7 |
| 07:45<08:00 | 74.1 | 87 | 95 |
| 08:00<08:15 | 74 | 86.9 | 95 |
| 08:15<08:30 | 74 | 86.9 | 94.9 |
| 08:30<08:45 | 73.9 | 86.8 | 94.9 |
| 08:45<09:00 | 74.1 | 87.1 | 95.3 |
| 09:00<09:15 | 74.1 | 87 | 95.2 |
| 09:15<09:30 | 74.1 | 87 | 95.1 |
| 09:30<09:45 | 74.1 | 86.9 | 95 |
| 09:45<10:00 | 74.2 | 87.2 | 95.3 |
| 10:00<10:15 | 74.2 | 87.1 | 95.3 |
| 10:15<10:30 | 74.2 | 87.2 | 95.3 |
| 10:30<10:45 | 74.3 | 87.1 | 95.3 |
| 10:45<11:00 | 74.4 | 87.4 | 95.5 |
| 11:00<11:15 | 74.3 | 87.3 | 95.5 |
| 11:15<11:30 | 74.3 | 87.3 | 95.5 |
| 11:30<11:45 | 74.3 | 87.2 | 95.4 |
| 11:45<12:00 | 74.5 | 87.5 | 95.7 |
| 12:00<12:15 | 74.5 | 87.5 | 95.7 |
| 12:15<12:30 | 74.5 | 87.5 | 95.6 |
| 12:30<12:45 | 74.5 | 87.4 | 95.5 |
| 12:45<13:00 | 74.6 | 87.6 | 95.8 |
| 13:00<13:15 | 74.6 | 87.5 | 95.7 |
| 13:15<13:30 | 74.6 | 87.5 | 95.7 |
| 13:30<13:45 | 74.6 | 87.5 | 95.7 |
| 13:45<14:00 | 74.7 | 87.7 | 95.9 |
| 14:00<14:15 | 74.7 | 87.6 | 95.9 |
| 14:15<14:30 | 74.7 | 87.6 | 95.8 |
| 14:30<14:45 | 74.6 | 87.5 | 95.8 |
| 14:45<15:00 | 74.7 | 87.6 | 96 |
| 15:00<15:15 | 74.5 | 87.5 | 95.9 |
| 15:15<15:30 | 74.5 | 87.4 | 95.8 |
| 15:30<15:45 | 74.3 | 87.2 | 95.6 |
| 15:45<16:00 | 74.3 | 87.2 | 95.7 |
| 16:00<16:15 | 74.1 | 87.1 | 95.5 |
| 16:15<16:30 | 73.9 | 87 | 95.3 |
| 16:30<16:45 | 73.7 | 86.7 | 95 |
| 16:45<17:00 | 73.6 | 86.7 | 95 |
| 17:00<17:15 | 73.5 | 86.6 | 94.8 |
| 17:15<17:30 | 73.4 | 86.5 | 94.7 |
| 17:30<17:45 | 73.2 | 86.3 | 94.5 |
| 17:45<18:00 | 73.4 | 86.5 | 94.6 |
| 18:00<18:15 | 73.3 | 86.5 | 94.5 |
| 18:15<18:30 | 73.3 | 86.4 | 94.4 |
| 18:30<18:45 | 73.3 | 86.3 | 94.3 |
| 18:45<19:00 | 73.5 | 86.5 | 94.6 |
| 19:00<19:15 | 73.5 | 86.5 | 94.6 |
| 19:15<19:30 | 73.6 | 86.5 | 94.6 |
| 19:30<19:45 | 73.6 | 86.4 | 94.5 |
| 19:45<20:00 | 73.7 | 86.6 | 94.8 |
| 20:00<20:15 | 73.7 | 86.4 | 94.7 |
| 20:15<20:30 | 73.6 | 86.3 | 94.6 |
| 20:30<20:45 | 73.5 | 86.2 | 94.5 |
| 20:45<21:00 | 73.7 | 86.4 | 94.7 |
| 21:00<21:15 | 73.5 | 86.3 | 94.5 |
| 21:15<21:30 | 73.4 | 86.1 | 94.4 |
| 21:30<21:45 | 73.3 | 86 | 94.2 |
| 21:45<22:00 | 73.4 | 86.2 | 94.4 |
| 22:00<22:15 | 73.3 | 86.1 | 94.2 |
| 22:15<22:30 | 73.2 | 85.9 | 94 |
| 22:30<22:45 | 73.1 | 85.7 | 93.8 |
| 22:45<23:00 | 73.3 | 86 | 94.1 |
| 23:00<23:15 | 73.2 | 85.9 | 93.9 |
| 23:15<23:30 | 73.1 | 85.8 | 93.7 |
| 23:30<23:45 | 73 | 85.6 | 93.6 |
| 23:45<24:00 | 73.3 | 86 | 93.9 |
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (10 June 2025) published Metered Electricity Consumption 2024.
Commenting on the release Dr Grzegorz GÅaczyÅski, Statistician in the Climate and Energy Division, said: āIn 2024, total metered electricity consumption reached 31,903 GWh a 4.3% increase compared with 2023. Non-residential consumption constituted the largest share at 72% of the total. Urban and Rural Residential customers accounted for 18% and 10% respectively (See Table 1).
Between 2023 and 2024, both residential and non-residential consumption saw a rise of 4%, where Urban Residential grew by 5%, and Rural Residential by 3%.
Residential Consumption Highlights
Seasonal variations were most prominent in the residential sector. The first quarter of 2024 saw the highest proportion of residential consumption at 30%, while the third quarter had the lowest at 21% (See Tables 2A and 2C).
The median residential consumption in 2024 was 3,246 kWh, a 2.3% increase from 2023 (See Table 5B). Quarterly median consumption in 2024 peaked between January and March at 884 kWh, compared with a low of 634 kWh from July to September (See Table 5A).
Median residential electricity consumption grew across all counties in 2024 compared with 2023 (See Table 5B). Counties with the lowest median residential consumption in 2024 included Donegal (2,650 kWh), Leitrim (2,700 kWh), and Mayo (2,867 kWh). Kildare recorded the highest median figure at 3,845 kWh.
Geographically, Dublin Postal Districts had the highest proportion of residential consumption in 2024 at 19%. This was followed by Cork (12%), Dublin County (6%), Galway (6%), and Kildare (5%). Within the Dublin Postal Districts, Dublin 15 (10%) and Dublin 24 (9%) had the highest proportions of residential electricity consumption (See Table 3B and Table 4B).
Approximately 10% of residential customers consumed less than 1,000 kWh in 2024, significantly below the median consumption of 3,246 kWh (See Table 5B and Table 7). Low consumption levels can indirectly indicate factors such as vacant properties, holiday homes, or energy poverty, and are also influenced by dwelling size and energy efficiency.
Non-Residential Consumption by Location
Within the Dublin Postal Districts, Dublin 15 and Dublin 2 had the highest proportions of non-residential electricity consumption in 2024, accounting for 13% and 12% respectively (See Table 4A).
Contribution of Large Energy Users
Large Energy Users, a category including major data centres and significant industrial consumers, increased their consumption by 9% between 2023 and 2024. This group represented 31% of total metered electricity consumed in 2024, up from 30% in the previous year (See Table 1).
Trends in Electricity Meter Numbers
The number of non-residential electricity meters increased from 299,373 in 2023 to 302,873 in 2024. Since 2015 the number of meters increased by 28,779 for non-residential and 203,805 for residential (See Table 6A and Table 6B).
Peak Demand and Generation
In 2024, the peak daily electricity consumption for very large users occurred between 13:00 and 15:00 similar to previous years (See Figure 4). The peak period for Metered Electricity Generation was typically later in the day between 17:00 and 19:00.ā