Energy poverty fears as householders continue to be hit with sky-high bills

Since highlighting the plight of a 100-year-old woman from Trim who received an electricity bill for almost €1,000 and a Ballivor man who faces a bill of €1,678.65, Deputy Johnny Guirke has been inundated with people contacting him over exorbitant electricity bills.

"We have had so many people in contact with us about this, People are cancelling direct debits, because they are afraid their entire wages will be taken to pay for electricity. There are thousands of people affected."

Gerry Clarke from Ballivor, whose case, Deputy Guirke raised in the Dail has vowed not to pay his bill of €1,678.65 and said the people of Ireland are being ripped off as oil and gas are at their cheapest.

He has also had people phoning him. "At least ten people rang me, one had a bill of €3,000."

"The sad part of it is there are a lot of people who can’t pay those bills or could end up homeless. There are a serious amount of people in that situation."

Gerry says he wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry when he received the bill from Electric Ireland covering a 64-day period, from 9th December to 10th February.

"Before the war in Ukraine our average electricity bill over a two-month period was €290 and prior to this bill the most recent was most recent bill was €671."

Gerry lives with his son and daughter-in-law. He points out that they keep horses, but this has always been the case. "Nothing has changed,” he said.

“My son and his wife are out all day long. We don't use a lot of electricity. I’m not going to pay it, I’m going to fight it," he said.

Deputy Guirke raised Gerry's bill in the Dáil last week and also raised the situation of a 100 year old woman from Trim, who got a bill of almost €1,000.

"The bill from Electric Ireland covered a 59-day period from 7th December 7th to 3rd February and the final figure was €957.49.

"I have her bill here. Her previous bill was €133.42. Her electricity usage involves a fridge, a washing machine, an immersion heater, lighting and two electric heaters on timers, with no central heating," he told the Dail.

He also raised Gerry's case. "His bill of €1,678.65 works out at €26.22 a day over 64 days, not just the highest price in Europe for domestic use but the highest in the world. Is it any wonder that a third of all households are experiencing energy poverty?"

Deputy Guirke said the Government and the Minister for Environment Eamon Ryan "need to get the finger out and deal with these energy companies, which are making massive profits on the back of pensioners and the Irish public in a cost-of-living crisis."

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar responded: "I have had the same experience the deputy has had and have met many people in my constituency who have been really shocked by some of the utility bills that have landed in their letter boxes in recent weeks. These are the winter bills. They are extremely high. Unfortunately, there is another one on the way.

"The Government is acting. We have extended the nine per cent VAT rate on electricity and gas until the end of October. There is another €200 energy credit on the way and, of course, we have provided for targeted welfare payments to increase pensions, increase the fuel allowance and widen eligibility for the fuel allowance, among other actions, and we will not stop here.

"The next step is the introduction of a windfall tax so that we can take back some of the profits of the energy companies and give them to people to help them with their bills," he said.