Wholesale electricity prices in Ireland jumped by nearly 77% over the 12 months leading to August 2026, according to official figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The latest Wholesale Price Index reveals that wholesale electricity costs rose by 9.6% between July and August 2026 alone. When compared to August 2025, wholesale electricity prices surged by 76.9%. Despite this sharp annual spike, current prices remain 56% lower than the record high recorded in August 2022 during the peak of the European energy crisis.
The wider energy sector saw a similar upward trend across the month. The price index for all energy fuels grew by 11% in August compared to July 2026, marking a 34.5% annual increase since August 2025. Key factors behind this monthly energy surge included steep increases in fuel oil prices, which rose by 11.5%, and gas oil prices, which increased by 11.4%. When combining all energy products, the overall sector saw a 10% monthly rise and a 64.7% increase compared to August 2025.
In contrast to energy trends, overall factory output and manufacturing prices saw a slight decrease over the month. The output price index for manufacturing industries dropped by 0.8% between July and August 2026. However, on an annual basis, factory producer prices were still 6.5% higher than in August 2025.
The CSO data highlighted a distinct difference between goods produced for export and those produced for domestic consumption. Producer prices for items exported to international markets grew by 6.9% in the 12 months to August 2026. Domestic prices for goods sold within Ireland grew at a slower pace, rising by 2.4% over the same annual period.
Across specific industrial sectors, chemical products experienced the highest annual price increase at 16.5%. Electrical equipment producer prices rose by 6.1%, while non-metallic mineral products went up by 6.0%. Fabricated metal products increased by 4.9%, and basic metal prices were up by 4.8%.
Food producer prices dropped by 2.1% between July and August 2026, but remained 0.6% higher compared to August 2025. Certain food categories experienced major shifts over the year. Fish and fish product producer prices rose by 8.6%, and other processed foods grew by 5.8%. Conversely, meat and meat products saw a significant annual price drop of 9.6%.
In the construction sector, raw material prices remained flat between July and August 2026, but showed a 3.3% annual increase compared to August 2025. When combining raw materials and wages, total building and construction costs rose by 1.4% in August and were 3.3% higher than the previous year.
Specific construction materials recorded contrasting trends over the year. Bituminous macadam and asphalt recorded the highest annual jump at 16.1%, followed by reinforcing metal at 10.8%, paints and varnishes at 9.2%, ready-mixed concrete at 7.6%, and stone at 5.7%. In contrast, wholesale cement prices dropped by 7.8% compared to August 2025.
