Power NI: Tariffs, Perks, Reviews & Contact Details

Updated on 18/05/2021

min reading

Power NI is an electricity supplier in Northern Ireland, covering around 60% of its internal domestic market - that’s a little under half a million customers - and having operated several decades.

About Power NI

Power NI is owned by the Energia Group (formerly the Viridian Group), an all-island Ireland energy company that also owns the Republic of Ireland’s all-green energy supplier, Energia.

Until 2011 the Northern Ireland provider was known as NIE Energy (Northern Ireland Electricity Energy) and used the same branding as its former sister electricity transmission and distribution company, Northern Ireland Electricity Networks (now owned by ESB). It rebranded as Power NI due to EU regulations requiring distinct identities and branding for separate operator undertakings - i.e. transmission and distribution, and supply.

The history of Power NI predates the formation of the Energia Group and has roots in the consolidation of Northern Ireland’s electricity sector in 1973, which precipitated Northern Ireland Electricity.

A short history

Prior to 1973, electricity in Northern Ireland was supplied, managed and regulated by a cohort of local, commercial and state-run organisations. These included:

The Belfast Corporation Electricity Department
The Londonderry Corporation Electricity Department
The Electricity Board for Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Joint Electricity Authority.

The Electricity Supply (Northern Ireland) Order of 1972 - passed through Westminster legislative procedure, although originally moved in the Northern Ireland Parliament before its indefinite suspension in 1972 - reorganised Northern Ireland’s electricity industry. This vital piece of legislation agglomerated the Electricity Board, Authority and NI distributors, and created the Northern Ireland Electricity Service.

The market deregulation zeal of the Thatcher years saw the opening up of the energy market in England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, as set in law by the Energy Act 1983 and Electricity Act 1989. These Acts were followed by the privatisation of the Northern Ireland Electricity Service in 1992.

In 1998 NIE reorganised by separating out its transmission operations and placing itself and its newly distinct operations under a holding company named Viridian Group (now Energia Group), allowing it to enter new markets to which it was previously restricted by regulation. This paved the way for NIE Networks (transmission and distribution) and NIE Energy (supply), and subsequently Power NI.

Timeline

1931: Electricity Board for Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Joint Electricity Authority created.
1972: The Electricity Supply (Northern Ireland) Order of 1972 creates the Northern Ireland Electricity Service.
1983: The Energy Act 1983 opens the electricity market for competition from non-state run services, though to very little effect in Northern Ireland.
1989: The Electricity Act 1989 sets further structures for deregulation.
1992/1993: Northern Ireland Electricity Service becomes Northern Ireland Electricity plc (NIE); NIE sells its four electricity power stations in Ballylumford, Kilroot, Belfast West and Coolkeeragh; NIE is floated on the London Stock Exchange.
1998: NIE separates its transmission operations from the rest of its activities and places itself and its distinct operations under holding company Viridian Group. This creates NIE Energy.
2007: NIE Energy is placed under separate Viridian subsidiary to ensure compliance with EU directive requiring independence of distribution operations. NIE retains transmission and distribution (NIE Networks); The Single Electricity Market (SEM) for the island of Ireland is established, designed to increase competition and reliability of supply via a single supply pool for the whole island.
2011: The Energia Group sells Northern Ireland Electricity Networks (transmission and distribution) to ESB; NIE Energy is rebranded as Power NI.

Present day

From state-run to private enterprise, Power NI has kept its hegemony as the largest electricity supplier in Northern Ireland, with over 60% of the market share. Its favourable position is perhaps solidified by the flexibility it affords customers - for example, no fixed-term/fixed-rate contracts and no penalties or exit fees for switching from Power NI to another supplier, making it a relatively safe place for the consumer.

However, as the trend in the energy market goes, the greater the market dominance, the greater the wiggle room to frustrate customers. The latter is most easily achieved through price hikes. In Power NI’s case, its customers have seen a 6.1% increase in price since October, despite a reported 38% fall in wholesale electricity prices.

The other sticking point is renewables. Power NI's parent company, the Energia Group, markets itself as green-forward with a focus on renewable technology, something which is certainly reflected by its supplier in the Republic of Ireland, Energia, though not so much by Power NI. This, however, may soon change as the Energia Group has committed to a £40m renewable gas plant in Belfast.

Power NI tariffs & prices

There are two factors governing the price and tariff practises of Power NI, which we’ve mentioned before in brief. They are as follows:

There are no fixed-term/fixed-rate contracts.
Power NI’s energy unit price and tariffs are approved by Northern Ireland’s Utility Regulator.

All Power NI tariffs are variable tariffs, meaning that tariff unit rates are subject to change at any time throughout the duration of your plan. Unlike other providers, however, Power NI has to get approval from the Utility Regulator before it can change its prices.

In addition, customers are not required to make security deposits - or deposits of any kind - when they sign up to any plan and they won’t receive any standing charges (with the exception of Economy 7 customers) or incur any hidden fees or exit fees.

Before we go into the details of all the available tariffs, a quick note on Power NI’s partnership with the Utility Regulator and the processes used to determine the tariffs available to domestic customers.

Price regulations

Northern Ireland’s Utility Regulator periodically conducts Power NI price control reviews in consultation with the Consumer Council and the Department for the Economy. In these reviews, the maximum average charge and retail tariffs (derived from the maximum average charge) for domestic electricity consumers are assessed and decided.

Pricing is assessed with recourse to wholesale electricity prices, levies and Power NI’s operations costings forecast - which includes the cost of purchasing and supplying electricity, as well as the general cost of running the business.

The Utility Regulator approves retail tariffs, business costings and also sets the profit margin Power NI is allowed to make from its domestic customers.

This process ensures that customers pay no more than the “efficient cost” of purchasing and supplying electricity, as well as running a profitable business.

October 2019 reviewThe October 2019 Power NI price control review resulted in an increase of 6.1% to the standard rate for domestic customers as of 1 October. The Utility Regulator has estimated that this will add £35 per annum to customer bills. The reasons cited for the increase include carbon costs, the cost of running the electricity network, a drop in consumer demand and an increase in wholesale prices.

Tariffs & discounts

There are, in total, five variable tariffs to choose from: pay-as-you-go, online-only, two direct-debit tariffs, the standard tariff and Economy 7.

Standard tariff

Power NI’s Standard tariff represents the standard rate per kWh (unit rate) as set out in the latest price control review.

Average electricity consumptionPlease be aware that electricity consumption depends on various factors, such as the size of your house or flat and insulation. Your average yearly consumption may vary and, therefore, your yearly cost of electricity may be higher or lower than the price quoted.

Customers can choose to receive their bills through the post or online and can pay upon receiving them via the following methods:

By phone
Through the Power NI app
In any Post Office
At any PayPoint

Those who choose the online billing option will receive a discount on the standard rate. To receive bills online, and thus the discount, customers will have to activate an Energy Online account. The Direct Debit tariffs offer distinct pricing structures for customers who set up, as suggested by the name, direct debits.

Payments are spread out monthly and calculated based on a forecast of your yearly consumption, then automatically deducted from your chosen bank account. Your payments may be adjusted every year to reflect your actual use. If you have used less than you have paid for, you will be credited the difference.

Here, too, customers could save further by setting up an Energy Online account and receiving their bills online rather than through the post.

Keypad

Keypad is Power NI’s pay as you go plan offering a discount on the standard rate whenever you top up. Customers can top up over the phone, at any Post Office or PayPoint, online or through the free Keypad app, which is available in the Apple Store and Google Play. Find out more in our Power NI Top Up guide

Power NI also offers ‘friendly credit’ so that you don’t get left in the dark if you forget to top up or can’t access any top up method. ‘Friendly credit’ applies at select hours, over the weekend and bank holidays.

Additionally, Keypad customers could receive free electricity when they top up above a certain amount in one go through the Keypad app or the Power NI website.

Economy 7

With Economy 7, Power NI applies two different unit rates for consumption during the day and during off-peak hours. A reduced unit rate of is applied during 1am-8am in the winter and 2am-9am in the summer (off-peak hours). A pricier peak unit rate applies at all other times.

To sign up to the Economy 7 tariff, you will need a ‘two rate’ meter that records separate usage for standard and off-peak hours.

Power NI perks & services

Along with the supply of electricity, Power NI offers a few services and perks that customers can avail of. These could be: The Energy Online service, the Power NI app, a Perks account and an export electricity purchase service with the Microgen tariff.

Microgen Tariff

Customers can export electricity generated but not used at their premises back into the grid. The amount exported will be paid for annually by Power NI. To receive payment for exporting electricity, you will need to have an import/export meter installed. The export unit rate (per kWh), as outlined in the Microgen tariff, is 5.10p.

Energy Online

An Energy Online account is not only an efficient way to access your account information, monitor your usage, see available perks, top up or pay bills; it can also save you quite a bit of money. Discounts are applied on every Power NI tariff - with the exception of Keypad - for registering and signing up to online billing through Energy Online.

Mobile App

Energy Online can be accessed through the Power NI mobile app, available in the App Store and Google Play. The app affords you the same functionality as Energy Online through web browser but with the convenience of easy accessibility on the go.

Perks account

With a Perks account you can access the Power NI rewards scheme. As part of the rewards scheme, you can save on shopping and purchases from select retail brands through top up cards, e-vouchers and cash-back codes.

Getting in touch with Power NI

There are quite a few channels through which you can contact Power NI, each corresponsing to a specific purpose or query. You can find a list of phone numbers, contact forms and other general contact details by heading over to our Power NI contact page.

Power NI Contact

Logging in to your Energy Online account is easy and hassle-free. All you have to do is head over the Power NI website and follow the steps outlined below.

On the Power NI homepage, click the green ‘Login to Energy Online’ button located in the top right hand corner of the screen.
Enter your username and password in the relevant fields and hit the ‘Sign in’ button.

Once you’re in, you can access your bills, account information, your Perks account and make a payment if you haven’t set up a direct debit. If you haven’t yet registered for an Energy Online account, you can do so through the login page.

Customer reviews

Power NI performed quite well in online review platforms like Trustpilot and Which?, as well as in independent complaints reports, such as that of the Consumer Council.

The general positive trends touched upon in feedback comments are the efficiency of customer service personnel and the ease of switching. Negative comments aren’t homogeneous enough to pick out trends, although recent issues fixate on a few Power NI app failures.

Power NI summary

For a supplier with a significant stake in its domestic market, Power NI performs well in Northern Ireland with regard to pricing, reviews and perks.