The Kiwis produce their own natural gas whereas we are heavily dependent on imports and we are at the farthest end of the European gas pipeline. I think that is the main reason why the price differential is so large.
As regards electricity prices, the main reason we are higher than many countries is down to the generation mix. We are highly dependent on fossil fules for electricity generation - one of the highest dependencies in the European Union: near to 90%. The price of fossil fuels is externally determined and has risen dramatically in the last 12 years. Other countries almost equally dependent - and similar pricewise - as us are Italy, Greece and The Netherlands. France by contrast, with their huge nuclear generation portfolio, has the cheapest electricity in Europe.
In New Zealand 65% of their electricity is generated by water followed by gas (16%), coal(9%), geothermal (6%) and wind and other (4%). We ain't got the beautiful mountain ranges and raging rivers of NZ and so our hydro-genration percentage is only about 1% of the total.
The Irish population is also very widely distributed and the cost of bringing electricity to scattered rural populations is much higher than doing so for concentrated urban populations. We may be similar to NZ on this front but we are the exception in European terms.
The electricity networks also received a much needed upgrade over the last 10 years and the cost of this has to be factored into the price as well.
So, should we build a nuclear power station and benefit from the lower electricity prices like France? Apart from the environmental/political objections the cost would be prohibitive. (And, personally, the prospect of Christy Moore composing another anti-nuclear ditty like he did when Carnsore Point was being mooted as a nuclear power site back in the seventies would be a price too high to pay). We would only need one for our small population and the cost and lead-in time would be excessive. Better instead to build an interconnector across the Irish Sea and import supply from the British, supply generated in part by their next generation of nuclear power stations. That is the plan. It's an Irish solution to an Irish problem but it makes sense.
Regards,
Fnergg