Data centres accounted for 23% of all Ireland's electricity usage last year, new data shows 

Data centres accounted for almost a quarter of total electricity used last year, CSO figures show

Total residential consumption of electricity, including both urban and rural dwellings, accounted for 28% of usage.

The total metered electricity consumed by data centres in Ireland increased by 10%, with the facilities accounting for nearly a quarter of all electricity used last year, new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows.

According to the data, data centres consumed 7,663 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity last year — up from the 6,973 GWh in 2024. The percentage share of total metered electricity consumption used by data centres rose to 23% in 2025 — up from 22% in 2024.

In 2015, data centres accounted for just 5% of total electricity used.

Overall, there was just under 33,000 GWh of electricity consumed in Ireland during 2025 — an increase of 3.4% compared with the year prior. Commercial and industrial customers were responsible for 72% of total metered electricity consumption.

Large energy users, which includes significant data centres, accounted for the largest overall share of total consumption at 33% in 2025. Their annual usage rose 9% from 2024 to reach 10,812 GWh.

Total residential consumption of electricity, including both urban and rural dwellings, accounted for 28% of usage. Urban residential consumption hit 5,954 GWh last year, with rural residential consumption hitting 3,121 — both up slightly.

The CSO said while households drive massive seasonal spikes in the winter months due to heating and lighting, the data centres consumption tends to increase with every quarter, with a slowdown in the first quarter of the year, as was observed in 2024 and 2025.