From powering the country to empowering its people
Bord Gáis Energy continues to invest significantly in renewables, and has been offering solar PV installations since 2023
What a difference half a century makes. Back when Bord Gáis Energy was founded, in 1976, most of us had never even heard of natural gas.
Today Bord Gáis Energy doesn’t just supply us with energy; it helps us to generate our own, installs our heat pumps and solar panels, and retrofits our homes.
The past 50 years have been quite the journey, starting with bringing natural gas ashore from Kinsale, then Corrib, and building pipelines, first from Cork to Dublin, then to Limerick and Galway, and on to Northern Ireland.
Along the way, in 2007, it changed its name from Bord Gáis Éireann to Bord Gáis Energy, reflecting its move beyond gas to the supply of residential electricity. The move was supported by the highly successful ‘Big Switch’ marketing campaign which saw more than 400,000 customers switch over in its first year alone.
But the journey was only igniting. In 2010 Bord Gáis Energy acquired SWS Natural Resources, a major Irish wind operator. Two years later the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre took to the boards, on Dublin’s Grand Canal Dock, powering up live entertainment too.
In 2014, as the retail gas market deregulated fully, the company was acquired by Centrica, a global energy giant, just in time for Ireland’s push to meet its carbon emissions target of a 51 per cent cut in emissions by 2030, and net zero by 2050.
To achieve this, Bord Gáis Energy has continued investing significantly in renewables. In 2023 it began offering solar PV installations and, in the same year, launched an ambitious apprenticeship scheme, training up the next generation of specialist service engineers in heat pumps, electric vehicle (EV) charging and energy efficiency.
It began the construction of two new hydrogen-ready peaker plants, in Dublin and Athlone, to keep the grid stable when wind and solar output dips.
After beginning a pilot partnership in December of 2021, Bord Gáis Energy launched a major solar partnership with the Irish Farmers Association, in November 2022, helping farms of all sizes generate their own electricity, and revenues too - by exporting excess energy back to the grid.
Last year the Bord Gáis Energy One Stop Shop retrofit service launched, giving homeowners not just a single point of contact for everything from home energy audits to heat pump installations, but a trusted brand with which to partner.
Its investment in Ireland continued with the acquisition of Swyft Energy, a leading Cork-based solar installer.
To mark its 50th birthday Bord Gáis Energy has launched ‘Know Your Power’, a major marketing campaign showcasing just how far it has come - from bare bones utility provider to fully comprehensive energy partner.
No longer just the company that sends your bills, it is now the energy partner that helps you take control of them, whether through smart thermostats, solar panels, EV charging, home retrofits, and flexible plans.
It’s why the company is “looking back with pride and forward with purpose”, says Catherine Lonergan, its director of customer and commercial.
“Recent years have highlighted just how exposed energy systems can be to global shocks, bringing rising costs, uncertainty and a renewed focus on resilience,” she points out.
“Alongside rapid technological change, and the urgency of climate action, this is shaping how energy is produced, used and valued. With all this uncertainty, customers are looking for clarity, control, and practical ways to cut bills, reduce carbon, and feel confident about the future.” Currently Bord Gáis Energy is helping to provide this to more than 715,000 residential and business customers nationwide.
“We’re listening to what people want, investing in the solutions that matter, and building the infrastructure required for a sustainable future,” she explains.
Thanks to the strength of its parent company, Centrica, Bord Gáis Energy has committed to investing €1 billion between now and 2029, to accelerate Ireland’s energy transition.
Already all its electricity plans are powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity, she points out. The company is also expanding access to the technologies that put people in charge, from smart heating controls to energy management systems, heat pumps and EV chargers.
It is targeting more than 12,000 solar installations by 2029, across both homes and farms, helping customers reduce their reliance on the national grid and actively participate in the energy system.
“We’re moving forward. We have all the core services - the gas and electricity - to heat and electrify your home, but we also now have all the other services to help people on their energy transition and to put them in control, from a brand that people trust,” says Lonergan.
“We have always had an engineering workforce trained up for gas boilers. We’ve now transitioned that to offer a fully rounded, end-to-end partnership via our One Stop Shop, including helping people through the grant process,” she says.
“So, whether you want a full home retrofit, or just part of it, we help you do it, ensuring you get the best out of your home. It’s all about helping people find the energy solutions that enable them to manage their costs, manage their emissions, and ultimately reduce what they pay.”
As the company looks to its next half century, she is clear about what makes Bord Gáis Energy’s offering so compelling in what is now a highly competitive market.
“We do everything customers need, end-to-end. We can provide you with gas and electricity. We can help you with solutions to make your energy usage more affordable. We can then maintain these solutions afterwards, with warrantees, guarantees and the services of our very highly skilled engineering workforce,” explains Lonergan.
“It’s about being a partner of choice that will be there with you now and into the future.”
