Wholesale electricity prices rise by 77%, figures show

Wholesale electricity prices rose by around 77% in the 12 months to August 2026, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The CSO say that all energy fuels were up by 11% in August, compared with July, but were up 34.5% when comparing August 2026 with August 2025.

When it came to domestic producers, their prices for manufactured goods were 2.4% higher in August 2026, compared with August 2025. Producer prices for exported goods were up by nearly 7%, bringing overall manufacturing producer prices to 6.5% higher in the year.

In terms of food prices, producer prices for food products increased by 0.6% in the 12 months to August 2026, while food products, beverages and tobacco was up by 0.5%.

However, when it came to fish and fish products, these increased by 8.6%. But meat and meat products reduced by 9.6%.

Deirdre Toher, Statistician in the Prices Division, said: “Wholesale price inflation showed a decrease in August 2026 with a 0.8% decline in the overall Producer Price Index for manufacturing industries in the month.

“The price index for export sales was down by 0.7% since July 2026, while the index for home sales fell 1.9% in the month.

“Producer prices for products sold on the domestic market were 2.4% higher in August 2026 compared with August 2025. In the 12 months to August 2026, export producer prices rose by 6.9%, while overall producer prices were up by 6.5%.

“Wholesale electricity prices increased by 9.6% in August 2026 when compared with July 2026 and were 76.9% higher than August 2025. They have fallen by 56.0% when compared with the peak that occurred in August 2022.

“All Energy Fuels were up by 11.0% in the month, largely driven by increases in Fuel Oil (+11.5%) and Gas Oil (other than autodiesel) (+11.4%).

“Producer prices for food products decreased by 2.1% since July 2026 and increased by 0.6% in the year since August 2025. Some of the most notable changes in producer prices for food products over the 12 months to August 2026 were for Fish & Fish Products (+8.6%), Other Food Products (+5.8%), and Meat & Meat Products (-9.6%).

“The All Materials Index for construction products saw no change in August 2026 but rose by 3.3% in the 12 months since August 2025. The Building & Construction Index (i.e. Materials and Wages) was up by 1.4% in the month and was 3.3% higher than the same month last year."