30-Second Overview
Wholesale gas prices directly affect business gas tariffs. They also influence wholesale electricity prices, as over 50% of Ireland's electricity is generated using natural gas. The table below shows the latest monthly wholesale gas prices in Ireland, including historical prices and the 12-month average. Monitoring wholesale gas prices helps businesses:
- Manage financial budgets
- Secure better gas contracts
- Time their energy procurement strategy effectively
⚡ Want to know how current wholesale gas prices affect your business? Utilityfair already has every supplier's latest gas pricing loaded into our comparison models. Select an option below to compare current gas rates or speak to an Energy Advisor about whether to fix your prices or track the wholesale market. 👇
Compare Business Gas Prices
Get a free, side-by-side comparison of gas prices from all Irish suppliers, based on your meter category and consumption.
Compare Gas Prices →
Fixed or Wholesale Gas Tracker?
Not sure whether to fix your gas prices or track the wholesale market? Speak to an Energy Advisor about the best option for your business.
Speak to an Advisor →
Monthly Wholesale Gas Prices (SAP)
| Month | Monthly Average Price | % Change |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Month Average | 4.96 c/kWh | +26.06% (annual) |
| Oct 2026 | 8.54 c/kWh | +13.77% |
| Sep 2026 | 7.50 c/kWh | +23.11 % |
| Aug 2026 | 6.10 c/kWh | +16.82% |
| Jul 2026 | 5.22 c/kWh | +19.27% |
| Jun 2026 | 4.37 c/kWh | -7.05% |
| May 2026 | 4.71 c/kWh | +4.60% |
| Apr 2026 | 4.50 c/kWh | -16.94% |
| Mar 2026 | 5.42 c/kWh | +60.85% |
| Feb 2026 | 3.37 c/kWh | -12.93% |
| Jan 2026 | 3.87 c/kWh | +32.40% |
| Dec 2025 | 2.92 c/kWh | -3.08% |
| Nov 2025 | 3.01 c/kWh | -2.77% |
| Oct 2025 | 3.10 c/kWh | -0.94% |
| Sep 2025 | 3.13 c/kWh | -0.47% |
| Aug 2025 | 3.14 c/kWh | -1.92% |
| July 2025 | 3.21 c/kWh | -8.38% |
| June 2025 | 3.50 c/kWh | +3.44% |
| May 2025 | 3.38 c/kWh | -2.94% |
| Apr 2025 | 3.48 c/kWh | -19.36% |
| Mar 2025 | 4.32 c/kWh | -18.02% |
| Feb 2025 | 5.27 c/kWh | -0.39% |
| Jan 2025 | 5.29 c/kWh | +11.65% |
| Dec 2024 | 4.74 c/kWh | +1.90% |
| Nov 2024 | 4.65 c/kWh | +12.95% |
| Oct 2024 | 4.12 c/kWh | +15.14% |
| Sept 2024 | 3.58 c/kWh | +5.79% |
| Aug 2024 | 3.38 c/kWh | +11.38% |
| July 2024 | 3.03 c/kWh | -8.93% |
| June 2024 | 3.33 c/kWh | +7.62% |
| May 2024 | 3.10 c/kWh | +7.101% |
| April 2024 | 2.88 c/kWh | +5.72% |
| Mar 2024 | 2.73 c/kWh | +8.00% |
| Feb 2024 | 2.53 c/kWh | -19.84% |
| Jan 2024 | 3.16 c/kWh | -6.70% |
| Dec 2023 | 3.38 c/kWh | -19.69% |
| Nov 2023 | 4.21 c/kWh | +0.05% |
| Oct 2023 | 4.21 c/kWh | +15.84% |
| Sept 2023 | 3.64 c/kWh | +10.05% |
| Aug 2023 | 3.30 c/kWh | +14.57% |
| July 2023 | 2.88 c/kWh | -8.46% |
| June 2023 | 3.15 c/kWh | +8.64% |
| May 2023 | 2.90 c/kWh | -26.17% |
| April 2023 | 3.93 c/kWh | -10.90% |
| Mar 2023 | 4.41 c/kWh | -15.99% |
| Feb 2023 | 5.25 c/kWh | -15.13% |
| Jan 2023 | 6.18 c/kWh | -44.55% |
| Dec 2022 | 11.15 c/kWh | +118.85% |
| Nov 2022 | 5.09 c/kWh | +19.02% |
| Oct 2022 | 4.28 c/kWh | -58.08% |
| Sept 2022 | 10.21 c/kWh | -33.42% |
| Aug 2022 | 15.34 c/kWh | +66.16% |
| July 2022 | 9.23 c/kWh | +62.29% |
| June 2022 | 5.69 c/kWh | - |
Source: Gas Networks Ireland - System Average Price (SAP).
Last Updated: 30 October 2026.
Why Should Businesses Monitor Wholesale Gas Prices?
- Direct Cost Impact: Wholesale gas prices influence the unit rates you pay on your business gas bills.
- Electricity Price Link: Over 50% of Ireland's electricity is generated using natural gas. Changes in wholesale gas prices also directly affect business electricity costs.
- Budgeting in a Volatile Market: Energy prices can be volatile. Monitoring wholesale gas prices helps you anticipate cost increases and plan your energy budgets.
- Better Timing = Better Contracts: Understanding wholesale gas price movements helps businesses decide when to secure new gas contracts, potentially locking in lower rates and achieving significant savings.
Can Businesses Buy Natural Gas at Wholesale Rates?
No. Businesses cannot buy natural gas at the wholesale price alone. Suppliers must also include regulated network charges payable to Gas Networks Ireland for transporting gas through the Irish network. These charges vary by meter category.
- Small Business Users (SBU): Approximately 4 c/kWh is added to the wholesale gas rate to cover transportation and capacity charges.
- Medium Business Users (MBU): Approximately 2 c/kWh is included in the unit rate for transportation costs. Other regulatory charges are billed separately, including capacity charges and standing charges.
- Large Business Users (Fuel Variation Tariff / Daily Metered): Regulatory charges are billed separately. Gas bills provide a breakdown of the commodity rate, site charge, fixed capacity charge and transportation rate.
What Factors Influence Gas Prices?
- Global Supply & Demand: Economic growth, gas field outages and increased consumption push prices higher, while oversupply drives prices down.
- Natural Gas Storage Levels: Low storage levels put upward pressure on prices, particularly during winter, while high storage levels help ease prices.
- Transportation Infrastructure: Pipeline outages, maintenance and LNG shipment delays create supply risks. Ireland imports 75% of its natural gas from the UK, making prices sensitive to UK market conditions.
- Geopolitical Events: Political conflicts and instability in gas-exporting countries can cause sharp increases in wholesale gas prices.
- Currency Fluctuations: Changes in the euro/sterling exchange rate affect Irish wholesale gas costs because most of Ireland's imported natural gas arrives through pipelines connected to the UK.
- Weather and Seasonal Demand: Colder winters increase heating demand and put upward pressure on gas prices, while milder weather reduces demand and helps ease prices.
How Utilityfair Helps Businesses Save on Natural Gas Costs
Utilityfair is Ireland's largest and most reviewed commercial energy broker. We analyse your gas bill and compare current pricing across all suppliers to identify the best available rates and potential savings.
Comparing gas suppliers yourself can be time-consuming and complex. Our energy experts already have the latest supplier pricing loaded into our comparison models, allowing us to provide a full market comparison in minutes. The service is completely free.
👉 Get Started Today!
Get a free, side-by-side comparison of business gas prices from all Irish suppliers in minutes, including tracker and fixed rates. Complete our enquiry form using the buttons below or call 01 547 0999 to speak with a Utilityfair Energy Advisor.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Wholesale natural gas prices are the cost of gas traded in energy markets before supplier margins, transportation charges and taxes are added. In Ireland, Gas Networks Ireland publishes the System Average Price (SAP), which reflects gas prices in the Irish balancing market and is expressed in cents per kWh.
The System Average Price (SAP) is the average price of natural gas traded in Ireland's gas balancing market. It is calculated and published daily by Gas Networks Ireland in cents per kWh. SAP is used as the wholesale price benchmark for business gas tracker tariffs, with transportation charges and supplier margins added separately.
Wholesale natural gas prices change continuously throughout the trading day as prices move in the futures and spot markets. Gas Networks Ireland also publishes a daily System Average Price (SAP), which reflects trading in the Irish gas balancing market. Our table shows monthly average SAP prices to help businesses understand historical price movements and trends.
Wholesale gas prices are influenced by global supply and demand, European gas storage levels, pipeline and LNG infrastructure, geopolitical events, currency exchange rates and seasonal weather conditions. Ireland's dependence on imported natural gas also makes prices sensitive to developments in the UK and European energy markets.
Wholesale gas prices are a major component of the rates suppliers charge businesses. When wholesale prices rise, new fixed-price contracts become more expensive, while falling prices create opportunities to secure lower rates. Businesses on wholesale tracker tariffs see changes in wholesale prices reflected directly in their gas charges.
Over 50% of Ireland's electricity is generated from natural gas. As a result, gas-fired power stations frequently set the wholesale electricity price. When natural gas prices rise, electricity generation becomes more expensive, pushing wholesale electricity prices higher. Falling gas prices help reduce electricity generation costs and can lead to lower business electricity rates.
No. Businesses cannot purchase natural gas at the wholesale commodity price alone. Gas suppliers add transportation charges, capacity charges, supplier margins and other applicable costs. These additional charges mean the final unit rate businesses pay is higher than the wholesale gas price.
Monitoring wholesale gas prices helps businesses understand market trends and decide when to secure fixed-price contracts or consider wholesale tracker tariffs. When wholesale prices are low, fixing rates can provide long-term savings and budget certainty. When prices are high, a wholesale tracker tariff offers flexibility and the opportunity to benefit if market prices fall.
