Wholesale electricity prices down 18% while food prices up 4%, says CSO

Prices down 18.5% year-on-year

Electricity prices are down 74% from their peak in August 2022.

Wholesale electricity prices declined by 18.5% in the year to October, new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows, as producer prices for food rose by 4.1%.

While electricity prices are down compared to last year, they are up 6.6% compared to September with customers also being hit with price increases as a number of electricity providers implemented price increases in advance of the high demand winter period.

Electricity prices are down 74% from their peak in August 2022.

SSE Airtricity increased their prices from October 20 which will see on average €151 added to annual bills.

Last month, Bord Gáis Energy price increases added €218 a year on average to customers' bills while Pinergy’s increases will add around €200 on average. Energia’s price increases will add €205 a year to the average customer bills.

In terms of food prices, the data shows that producer prices for food products increased by 4.1% in the 12 months to October with some the most notable increases including dairy product prices increasing 11.1%, while meat and meat product prices falling 6.6%, and fish and fish products increased by 4%.

There were some product categories that recorded a price decrease with vegetables, and animal oils and fats did see a 16.2% decrease in the year while beverages did see a decline of 4%.

According to market research firm, Worldpanel by Numerator, grocery prices in November were 6.06% higher than they were at the same period last year.

This is well above the headline annual inflation rate of 2.9% according to the Central Statistics Office.

Domestic producer prices for manufactured goods were on average 1.2% higher in October 2025 compared with a year earlier, while producer prices for exported goods were down by 4.0%.

Overall, manufacturing producer prices were 3.5% lower in the year.

The largest increase, in this wholesale price index, was recorded in the chemicals and chemical products which saw wholesale prices increase 30.8% in the year to October.

Statistician with the CSO Deirdre Toher said the producer prices for products sold on the domestic market were 1.2% higher in October compared to the same period last year.

“In the 12 months to October 2025, export producer prices fell by 4.0%, while overall producer prices were down by 3.5%,” she said.

Irish exports have been holding up well over the course of the year with data from September showing pharmaceutical goods and a resurgence in trade with the US underpinning an almost 28% rise compared to September last year.

Good exports were up by more than €6bn in the month, totalling €28.5bn. Pharmaceuticals represented almost two-thirds of total exports at €18.7bn.

In the construction sector, wholesale prices declined by 0.1% month-on-month but rose by 0.9% year-on-year.

The Building and Construction Index, which includes materials and wages was unchanged compared to September but was 2% higher than the same month last year.

Among the notable increases in the construction sector was copper pipes and fittings increasing by 6.5%, while plaster prices were up 6.3% and mortar and concrete costs up 4.7%.