Current figures — last updated 2026-06-25
- Homes and businesses connectedover 960,000
- Power cut and fault line03457 643 643 (24h)
- VAT on domestic electricity5%
- Renewables levy (NIRO) share of billaround 4 to 5%
- Network charges share of billaround 20 to 25%
- Power NI regulated margin (capped)2.2%
Sources: NIE Networks, the Utility Regulator and the Consumer Council price comparison tables. Bill shares are approximate and change every year with wholesale prices.
If your power is off in Northern Ireland
Call NIE Networks: 03457 643 643
Open 24 hours a day for power cuts and faults, or report online at powercheck.nienetworks.co.uk. The Great Britain "105" line does not work here. If you see a fallen power line, sparking equipment, or there is a risk to life, also call 999 and keep everyone well clear.
What NIE Networks does, and what it does not
Most people in Northern Ireland think their supplier (often Power NI) owns the wires. It does not. NIE Networks owns and runs the physical grid for the whole region. Here is the clean split.
NIE Networks DOES
- +Own the poles, overhead lines, underground cables and substations across Northern Ireland;
- +Run the local distribution network that carries power to your meter;
- +Restore supply after a power cut, 24 hours a day;
- +Connect new homes, businesses, solar panels and EV chargers to the grid;
- +Own the high-voltage transmission assets (the towers and large lines).
NIE Networks does NOT
- −Generate electricity (power stations and wind farms do that);
- −Sell electricity to you or send your bill (your supplier does);
- −Set or control your tariff or unit rate;
- −Operate the grid in real time, second by second (that is SONI);
- −Run the wholesale market that prices the electricity (that is the all-island SEM).
Why Northern Ireland is not "just another part of the UK grid"
This is the part almost every guide gets wrong. Northern Ireland shares a currency and a flag with Great Britain, so people assume it shares the electricity system too. It does not. The differences are not small print, they change who you call and how your price is set.
| Feature | Great Britain | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | Ofgem | Utility Regulator (NIAUR) |
| Network operators | 6 regional DNOs | One: NIE Networks |
| Power cut number | 105 | 03457 643 643 |
| Wholesale market | GB market | All-island SEM (with the Republic of Ireland) |
| Renewables levy | Renewables Obligation / CfD | NIRO |
| Price cap on suppliers | Ofgem energy price cap | No cap; only Power NI tariffs are regulated |
The single biggest practical consequence: if you Google "power cut" and dial 105, nothing useful happens in Northern Ireland. Save 03457 643 643 instead.
See what NIE Networks actually costs you
The network charge is like paying for the road the electricity travels on, not the electricity itself. Type in roughly what you spend on electricity each year, and the tool below splits your money into the five real parts of a Northern Ireland bill.
Drag the slider. A typical Northern Ireland home spends roughly £900 to £1,200 a year.
Of that, about £ a year goes to NIE Networks and SONI to own, run and repair the wires. You pay it through your supplier, never directly.
Assumptions: illustrative average shares of a Northern Ireland domestic electricity bill (wholesale 45%, network 23%, supplier 22%, NIRO 5%, VAT 5%). Real shares change every year with wholesale prices. Source: Utility Regulator and Consumer Council data.
Where the money on a Northern Ireland electricity bill goes
| Part of your bill | Approximate share | Who receives it |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale electricity (the all-island SEM market) | 45% | Set by the market, not NIE Networks |
| Network charges (NIE Networks wires + SONI grid) | 23% | NIE Networks and SONI |
| Supplier costs and margin | 22% | Your supplier |
| Renewables levy (NIRO) and policy costs | 5% | A levy collected on your bill |
| VAT at 5% | 5% | HMRC (tax) |
Switching supplier can change the wholesale and supplier parts of your bill. It never changes the NIE Networks or SONI network charge, and it never changes VAT or the NIRO levy.
NIE Networks or your supplier: who handles what
People in Northern Ireland routinely phone their supplier about a power cut and wait, when only NIE Networks can fix it. Here is the fixed split.
| If your issue is... | NIE Networks | Your supplier |
|---|---|---|
| Power cut on your street | Yes, 03457 643 643 | No |
| Fallen power line or damaged pole | Yes, plus 999 | No |
| New connection to a new building | Yes | No |
| Connect solar panels to the grid | Yes | No |
| Faulty meter or keypad top-up | No | Yes |
| Switch supplier or tariff | No | Yes |
| Bill, payment or direct debit | No | Yes |
How NIE Networks is paid, and why it cannot overcharge you
NIE Networks is a monopoly: there is no second grid you could choose instead. To stop a monopoly from charging whatever it likes, the Utility Regulator caps how much money NIE Networks is allowed to collect over a multi-year price-control period (the Northern Ireland equivalent of Ofgem's RIIO framework in Great Britain).
Capped revenue
The Utility Regulator decides in advance how much NIE Networks can recover each year. Spend more efficiently and it keeps a share of the saving; overspend and its owner (ESB) absorbs the loss.
Rural and renewables grid
Northern Ireland has a lot of rural overhead line and a high share of wind power. NIE Networks has to reinforce the grid to connect new wind and solar, and the cost is recovered slowly through the network charge.
In your bill
Network charges are roughly a fifth to a quarter of a Northern Ireland electricity bill. Switching supplier changes the supplier's margin and wholesale cost, never the NIE Networks charge.
The insider point most guides miss
Because Northern Ireland buys its electricity on the all-island Single Electricity Market, the wholesale price you pay is shaped by what is happening across the whole island of Ireland, not just by NIE Networks or your supplier. A windy week in Donegal or a gas-plant outage in the Republic moves the price for a household in Belfast. NIE Networks owns the wires, but it does not own that price, and neither does your supplier. That is why "just switch supplier to beat high prices" only goes so far here: switching changes about a quarter of your bill, not the wholesale half that the island-wide market sets.
NIE Networks: the Selectra expert answers your questions
Call NIE Networks on 03457 643 643, open 24 hours a day for power cuts and faults, or report it online at powercheck.nienetworks.co.uk. Do not call your energy supplier: your supplier only sells you the electricity, while NIE Networks owns and repairs the wires. The Great Britain "105" number does not work in Northern Ireland. If you see a fallen power line or there is a danger to life, also call 999 and stay well clear.
NIE Networks owns the electricity transmission and distribution assets in Northern Ireland (the poles, overhead lines, underground cables and substations) and operates the distribution network that delivers power to your meter. It also connects new homes, businesses and renewable generators to the grid, and restores supply after faults. It does not generate electricity, does not sell it to you, and does not set your tariff.
No, and this is the most common mix-up in Northern Ireland. NIE Networks owns the wires; Power NI is an electricity supplier (one of several) that sells you the electricity and sends your bill. They were once part of the same company, but they were split. You can switch away from Power NI to another supplier, but you cannot switch NIE Networks: it runs the network for the whole of Northern Ireland.
The market is split into three parts. NIE Networks owns and maintains the wires, the all-island wholesale market sets the price of the electricity itself, and a retail supplier buys that electricity, adds the network charge and bills you. The "network charge" on every Northern Ireland bill funds NIE Networks and SONI. Your supplier collects it on their behalf. You cannot pay NIE Networks directly and you cannot switch your network operator.
NIE Networks has been owned by ESB Group, the Republic of Ireland's state-owned electricity company, since 2010. It was privatised in 1993. Despite the shared ownership, it is run as a separate, ring-fenced business with its own board and is regulated independently by the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator.
Meter installation, replacement and faults are usually handled through your electricity supplier, who arranges the metering. NIE Networks owns the network up to the connection point at your property. If your meter is faulty, or you want a keypad (pay-as-you-go) meter changed, contact your supplier first. For a new connection to a new building, you apply to NIE Networks.