Average kWh Electricity usage for Small Business in Ireland: Realistic benchmarks based on our customer data
Key Takeaways
- Most Irish small businesses use 15,000 to 25,000 kWh per year, with real-world ranges from 5,000 to 90,000 kWh depending on sector, hours, equipment, and heating.
- Typical annual usage benchmarks are coffee shops – 25,000 kWh per year, hairdressers – 60,000 kWh per year, restaurants – 90,000 kWh per year, and barbers – 10,000 kWh per year.
- Quick conversions help benchmarking: 15,000 to 25,000 kWh/year – 1,250 to 2,080 kWh/month or 41 to 68 kWh/day, and 50,000 kWh/year – 4,170 kWh/month or 137 kWh/day.
- Switching from being out of contract to a 12-month contract can save about €1,000, €2,500, or €5,000 at 10k, 25k, and 50k kWh annually respectively, before standing charges.
- A recent Procure.ie engagement with an eight-site restaurant group delivered a 28% annual cost reduction.
In my role as National Sales Director at Procure.ie I speak to business owners every day and whether I’m sitting down with a café owner or a salon manager, the first question is nearly always the same: “What’s the average electricity usage for a business like mine?”
You can’t manage what you can’t measure, so to help guide you, I’ve put together this clear, data-backed guide using Procure.ie’s real customer figures, and a simple way to estimate savings when you switch business electricity supplier.
How much electricity do businesses consume – The quick answer:
Most small businesses in Ireland use roughly 15,000 to 25,000 kWh per year according to our data. Across our customer base, usage ranges from anywhere from 5,000 to 90,000 kWh per year depending on the type of small business, the opening hours, equipment, and heating.
The average usage will vary across different types of small businesses, so we wanted to dig a little deeper into some specific small business types.
Cafe’s, Hairdressers, Barbers and Restaurants are four business types that we deal with often, so we dove into our database of customer bills to find the averages for these business types:
- Coffee shop: 25,000 kWh/year
- Hairdresser: 60,000 kWh/year
- Restaurant: 90,000 kWh/year
- Barbers: 10,000 kWh/year
You might sit outside the ranges if you have:
- Electric space or water heating
- Large laundry or dishwasher loads
- Bakery ovens or pizza ovens
- Cold rooms and extensive refrigeration
- Long late-evening hours
- High ventilation needs
That is normal. The key is to match the tariff to your profile and target the biggest loads first. We do this every day with Irish SMEs and can benchmark your numbers against similar businesses quickly.
What is the average kWh usage for a small business?
The average kWh usage for a small business will vary, but when reviewing our customers bills we found that the average electricity usage for small businesses is 15,000 to 25,000 kWh per year. By comparison the average business electricity usage is 50,000 kWh per year. These figures come directly from anonymised Procure.ie customer data across retail, hospitality, and services.
Understanding average monthly and daily equivalent usage:
You can use a quick rule of thumb conversion to help you benchmark quickly:
- 15,000 to 25,000 kWh/year is equal to 1,250 to 2,080 kWH per month or 41 to 68 kWh per day
- 50,000 kWh/year is equal to 4,170 kWh per month or 137 kWh per day
It’s worth comparing your monthly bills against these ranges. If you are consistently outside them, it is worth a deeper look.
How to estimate your own business electricity usage
There are a number of ways to estimate your business electricity usage to compare against the averages we’ve set out in this article:
From recent bills
- Find ‘kWh’ usage on your last 3 to 12 bills.
- Add them up to get a 12-month figure.
- If you only have a few months, multiply the average month by 12 for a quick estimate.
- Note your unit rate (€ per kWh) and standing charge.
Use average ranges
- Micro usage: 5,000 to 10,000 kWh/year
- Small usage: 15,000 to 25,000 kWh/year
- Upper-small to lower-mid: 25,000 to 50,000 kWh/year
Using your recent bills will be the most accurate way to estimate your average usage, but if you don’t have your bills handy you can use our averages to get a general estimate.
Example of potential savings that can be made by switching supplier
The biggest way we help customers save money is by securing a new contract on a cheaper rate. Many of the business owners we meet don’t realise that if they fall out of contract their rates will increase.
The message is simple: Falling out of contract reduces your profit margins and hurts your pocket. I often see businesses paying a high out-of-contract unit rate and not realising it. The good news is that by switching supplier or renewing to a market-aligned rate is pretty straightforward and can result in significant annual savings.
The simple formula
- Annual cost = Annual kWh × Unit rate (€ per kWh) + Standing charge
- Annual saving = Annual kWh × (Old unit rate − New unit rate)
Representative example
If we use a number of assumptions, we can calculate potential savings depending on the business’s average electricity usage:
- Out-of-contract unit rate: €0.42/kWh
- New-contract unit rate: €0.32/kWh
- Standing charge: €300/year in both cases
Estimated savings by usage
Using the above rate examples here are the potential savings a business could make:
- A business that uses 10,000 kWh/year would save €1,000/year
- A business that uses 25,000 kWh/year would save €2,500/year
- A business that uses 50,000 kWh/year would save €5,000/year
It’s important to remember that market prices change, these rates are for illustrative purposes only, so always check current business electricity rates at the point of switching.
In 2023, we met with Graham Dunne, a director at the Oliver Dunne Restaurant Group to review a stack of bills from eight busy sites. Usage was steady, but costs had climbed fast. We mapped each site’s contracts and rates, and lined up like-for-like quotes across the market.
A peer check with other hospitality clients confirmed a few simple things they could do to reduce costs without hurting service standards. We moved the group onto cheaper tariffs, tidied up renewal dates, and set quarterly reviews to ensure they continued to benefit from cost savings. The result that we were able to reduce costs by 28% per year, there were fewer admin queries, and the kitchens still ran smoothly through lunch and dinner.
Frequently asked questions about average usage
What is a good kWh per month for a small business?
If you are ‘average’ at 15,000 to 25,000 kWh/year, you would expect 1,250 to 2,080 kWh/month. Compare your last 6 to 12 months to get a fair picture.
How many kWh does a small business use per month?
Ranges widely by sector. Retail and small offices can be under 1,000 kWh/month. Hospitality typically sits higher due to refrigeration and cooking.
Is 50,000 kWh a lot for a small business?
It is the top end of ‘small’ in our data and common for busy restaurants or multi-station salons.
Who is the best electricity supplier for small businesses?
It depends on the standing charge and current unit rates. We compare multiple suppliers impartially and match you to the best option for your profile.
Get a tailored quote and switching plan
If you want to get a quick sense check on whether your usage is ‘normal’ and what you could save by switching, I am happy to help. As Ireland’s largest business energy brokers we can compare multiple suppliers, handle the paperwork, and review your rates each year. Start with your annual kWh and your latest unit rate. We will do the rest!
Call 01 485 3475 or Get Immediate Pricing.
Dedicated Account Manager
He expertly manages the sales operations while building strong relationships with customers and partnering with them to better understand their business objective and energy needs.
John Small
