Electric vehicle (EV) drivers in Ireland face considerably higher home charging costs than those in most other European nations, a study by DoneDeal Cars has revealed.
According to data from the buying and selling platform, powering a mid-sized EV like the Volkswagen ID.4 at home in Ireland comes to about €1,132 annually, which is €398 more than Spain, €306 more than the Netherlands, €249 more than France, and €230 more than the UK, reports RTE.
Among European countries, only Germany shows higher costs for home EV charging, with Irish owners spending €74 less each year than their German counterparts.
These numbers are drawn from average electricity prices for Ireland, as reported by the International Energy Agency (IEA), and are based on standard usage patterns, reports RTE.
The IEA recently highlighted that Ireland’s retail energy rates are three times higher than wholesale ones—among the largest such discrepancies globally.
According to the agency, “Ireland has the highest household electricity prices in the EU, averaging around €0.45 per kWh, compared with about €0.11/kWh in Hungary and Bulgaria”, reports RTE.
The energy portion of domestic electricity bills in Ireland stands at roughly €0.33/kWh—more than any other country in Europe.
A mix of factors, including network fees, grid limitations, ongoing renewable energy subsidies, and a high dependence on gas, are blamed for the elevated prices, reports RTE.
DoneDeal’s report acknowledges that while EV charging remains more economical than fuelling a petrol-powered vehicle, Irish EV owners still pay “hundreds of euro more each year to charge their cars at home than drivers elsewhere in Europe – and the gap between countries is now far bigger than for petrol”, reports RTE.
According to the findings, “while petrol prices across Europe typically differ by around €332 a year between the cheapest and most expensive countries, the gap in domestic EV charging costs is about €472 – roughly 50% larger”, reports RTE.
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