EV charging prices at Brite, Galway

Brite sells electricity by the kilowatt-hour. There is no connection fee, no minimum balance and no subscription requirement — the rate on the dispenser screen is the rate your bank is charged. Everything below includes VAT and applies at both Galway sites.

Brite DC rapid charging rates

The night rate is the same seven nights a week, so a Saturday-night charge is 60c per kWh just like a Tuesday. It applies at every DC bay, whether you draw 50 kW or 300 kW — Brite does not charge more for the faster bays.

Sandy Road AC charging: a flat 50c per kWh

Brite Ultra Sandy Road also has 22 kW Type 2 AC bays at 50c per kWh at any time of day or night. That makes AC the cheapest energy Brite sells. It is slower — most cars accept 7 to 11 kW on AC — so it suits a long stop rather than a dash. If you are parked in Terryland for three hours anyway, the AC bay is the better deal. There is more detail in our guide to choosing between AC and DC.

What a charge actually costs

Range per kWh varies by car, weather and speed. A rough Irish rule of thumb is 5 km per kWh in mild conditions and closer to 4 km per kWh in winter.

How Brite compares to ESB ecars pay-as-you-go

Brite is a two-site Galway operator, so this is not a like-for-like comparison on coverage — ESB ecars runs the national network and will always be the right answer for a cross-country trip. On price per kWh at a Galway bay, though, it is worth knowing where you stand.

Sources and caveats. ESB figures are the pay-as-you-go rates published on esb.ie/what-we-do/ecars/price-plans following the July 2026 revision, as also reported by electrive. Checked 14 September 2026. Both networks change prices from time to time and ESB membership rates are lower than the pay-as-you-go rates shown. Always check the screen at the bay before you charge.

The €50 hold on your bank card

When you tap a contactless card at a Brite charger, your bank places a refundable €50 pre-authorisation, the same way a petrol pump does. It is not a charge. Once the session ends, Brite sends the real amount and the hold releases — usually within hours, though some banks take up to seven working days. Only the actual kWh cost is ever taken. We have a full explainer on the €50 hold if your banking app is showing something that looks wrong.

Is Brite membership worth it?

Brite membership costs €3.99 a month and refunds 7c per kWh on day-rate DC charges paid by contactless card, capped at 400 kWh a month. It brings the weekday rate to 64c and the weekend rate to 68c. Night charging, the AC bays and app-paid sessions are not included, and there is no minimum term.

The break-even is about 57 kWh of day-rate DC charging a month — roughly two decent top-ups. Below that, pay as you go. If most of your charging happens after midnight or on the AC bays, membership will not save you anything, and we would rather say so than sell it to you.

Paying, and getting a VAT receipt

• Contactless card, Apple Pay or Google Pay — tap the reader on the main charger unit, not the dispenser. No app, no account, no sign-up.
• Charge Assist app — the GreenFlux driver app, white-labelled for Brite. Session history and downloadable VAT invoices.
• Roaming cards — Shell Recharge, Octopus Electroverse, DKV, Plugsurfing, BMW, Porsche, Hyundai and Charge Now all work. Your roaming provider sets the price it bills you, which may differ from the rates above.

Tapped a bank card and need an invoice? Request a VAT receipt with the last four digits of the card and the date of the charge.