What are
the price plan options?
There
are two price plans available to you, PAYG or Membership. The Membership price
plan was developed for heavier users who charge their car five times plus per
month on the ESB public charging network.
To find out more about our price plans, please visit our pricing page.
Why was pricing introduced when it had been free to
use?
It was free to use the public charging network in the Republic of Ireland since ESB ecars was set up in 2010. This was to encourage what was a new industry.
However the technology and the industry has matured significantly in recent years and introducing price plans was required to continue to invest in and upgrade the public network to ensure high reliability and availability for customers.
Why are public charging fees calculated by kWh rather than time charged?
Research carried out with EV drivers found that 72% drivers would prefer to be charged by kWh rather than a time-based model. It is fairest method of charging as the amount of energy delivered to an EV in a given timeframe is dependent upon multiple factors:
- The type and size of battery (EV type) and the battery state of charge (%) at the beginning of the charging session
- Once the battery reaches circa 80%, power level falls dramatically. Therefore, the energy delivery when charging from 10% vs 70% over 25 minutes is drastically different.
- The ambient temperature - Low ambient temperatures reduce charging power
- The battery temperature - Excessively low or excessively high battery temperatures affect charging power
- Charging has a “master-slave” relationship with the car, which means that the charging rate is controlled by the car, not the charger
How does the price compare to diesel?
The table below shows the cost difference and percentage saving
for the average EV driver vs. a Diesel driver to drive 100km:

Most
EV drivers charge their car at home or in work and use the public network to
top up for 15% of their chargers. Taking Electric Irelands night rate for a
100km drive (85% of charge at home and 15% on the public fast charge) it costs*:

Assumptions:
- 2019 Ford Focus Diesel consumption is 4.90L per 100km
- Diesel price: €1.208 – AA Roadwatch January 2021 diesel price average.
- 40kWh Nissan Leaf range: up to 270 kms (WLTP)
- AC, Fast, HP: Membership: 23c, 26.8c, 33c PAYG price: 26.8c, 30.5c, 37c
- Electric Ireland night rate €0.1049 inclusive of VAT (Jan 2021)
- Rounded to the nearest %
For more
information of how our price plans compare to diesel, check out our cost calculator.
What methods of payment are accepted?
You
can pay with major debit or credit cards from Visa or Mastercard. Payment
can be made directly at any fast charge point using the ecar connect app, or on
the website.
I want to pay for a charge but remain anonymous, what details do I have
to enter?
The one-time payment
method allows customers to pay without registering. You will need to enter your
payment details and agree to ESB’s terms & conditions. You may then choose
to enter your email address if you would like an electronic receipt.
Why am I being charged €10 as well as the cost of the charge?
This applies to One-Time
Payments only. A pre-authorisation amount of €10 will be reserved before a
charging session activation in order to confirm card validity. However, this
amount will be used to pay for the charging session and the remaining balance
from the pre-authorisation fee will be refunded.
Is there
an overstay fee?
To ensure a charge point is available for the next user and to respond
to EV driver feedback, an overstay fee of €4.60 (ROI only) will apply for
charging sessions longer than 45 minutes at all ESB fast chargers (Note: this charge is applied only once).
Can
multiple people use the same account?
Yes, you can have up to two members using your account and they can
charge concurrently.
Do you offer contactless
payments?
We don't currently offer contactless payments
but may look at implementing a solution in the future.
What does Anniversary Date
mean?
Your anniversary date is the date you registered for the service and the date
you will receive your monthly invoice, assuming you’re a post pay customer.
How
can I view my usage?
As
a registered customer you can view your charging and energy usage on the My
Account section of the ecar connect app or on the website.
How can I change my account and payment details?
You
can edit your details on the My Account section of the ecar connect app
or via the website.
I drive an Audi e-tron. Can I still
use my Audi supplied card or do I need to sign up?
Yes, Audi e-tron drivers
who subscribe to an Audi integrated service (which includes charging) will be
able to access our AC and DC charge points via their Audi-supplied access card. We will bill Audi for the aggregated usage, you
will then be billed directly by Audi.
PAYG
What are
the two different Pay As You Go (PAYG) options?
Pay As
You Go: Make a once off transaction at any of our rapid charging points via the ecar connect app.
Pre Pay
(PAYG): Purchase pre-paid credit with a registered account on the website or
via the ecar connect app.
I am a PAYG top-up
user, how do I get an ESB charge point access card?
The initial top up amount is set to €20, this includes an ESB ecars charge point
access card.
Is there
a minimum amount when using the Top up PAYG?
Yes the
minimum top up amount is set to €10. You can also set your account to
auto-top up when a certain balance is reached.
Is there
a minimum amount of credit on post pay accounts to initiate a charge?
Post pay accounts are not required to have a minimum amount of credit to initiate a charge.
One Time Payments
I want to pay for a charge but remain anonymous, what details do I have to enter?
You can use the onetime payment method. Enter your payment details via the ecar connect app, agree to terms and conditions and provide your email address if you would like a receipt.
Why am I being charged €10 as well as the cost of the charge?
A pre-authorisation amount of €10 will be reserved before a charging session activation in order to confirm card validity. However, this amount will not be debited following successful account and balance validation. This only applies to One Time Payments.
Will price plans be introduced in Northern Ireland?
There are currently no plans to introduce price plans in Northern Ireland.