The owner of a small coffee shop in Westmeath has spoken of her shock after receiving an electricity bill for close to €10,000 for 73 days of energy usage.
Speaking to Gript, the owner of the popular Poppy Fields Cafe in Athlone, Geraldine Dolan, said that the Spanish energy company she had used since last year, Iberdrola, closed in Ireland in June because it could no longer afford to operate here.
Those who were with Iberdrola were automatically transferred to its designated suppliers – Bord Gáis Energy for gas and Electric Ireland for electricity in June. Ms Dolan was subsequently transferred to Electric Ireland.
On opening her Electric Ireland Bill, which billed the Cafe for electricity from 8 June 2022 – 19 August 2022, Ms Dolan explained her deep shock. The charges for that time period amounted to €9024.70, along with a VAT charge of €812.22 after the Cafe’s metre was read. The massive bill must be paid by 6 September.
Speaking to Gript, a stunned Ms Dolan said:
“It’s ridiculous how much costs have gone up in the space of a year. It’s unbelievable. I was in shock yesterday. I couldn’t speak.”
“Looking at the rates of what is available out there at the moment, there are no better rates out there. There is no way small businesses can do this,” she said.
“It was only when I went home and did my homework, I realised there doesn’t seem to be any solution. I’m at the best rate, so what can I do?”
The business owner said she had sent the bill over to her accountant, who told her that it was correct, and no mistake had been made.
On Twitter, the hefty bill ignited a huge reaction after Ms Dolan shared a photo of the letter she received from Electric Ireland.
I got this electricity bill today, how in the name of God is this possible, we're a small coffee shop in westmeath pic.twitter.com/uz5J8BePhB
— poppyfields cafe.🇺🇦 (@DolanGeraldine) August 29, 2022
One fellow business owner replied: “I got one yesterday for a kiosk , which houses a coffee machine & fridge and a till …. That’s it no more and it was €470……. Over doubled”.
“The pain in the pit of my stomach for you, and everyone else who no doubt will receive similar over the coming days/weeks/months.”
“There are no words…” another person said, to which Ms Dolan replied: “You couldn’t dream it up”.
Others blasted the bill as “outrageous” as well as “frightening”. Another Twitter user said they were losing sleep over soaring energy costs, writing:
I am literally losing sleep at the moment. Electric bill in the Thousands running fridges for potatoes from Oct/May. We have stepped up to challenge after challenge to keep things going, but THIS is just a step too far. I am tired & so disillusioned. Its just not worth it anymore https://t.co/8A2iuzkyo2
— Ballymakenny Farm® (@BallymakennyF) August 30, 2022
Last month, Electric Ireland announced plans to increase residential electricity bills by 10.9 per cent and gas bills by 29.2 per cent, a change which came into force on 1 August 2022.
Yesterday, households and businesses across Ireland were cautioned that they are likely to see further energy and gas bill hikes, as the wholesale cost of gas reached a record European high.
While the Government says it is exploring a windfall tax on power company profits in the upcoming budget to fund supports for businesses and households struggling with rising energy costs, some in the industry have questioned how much money such a tax would actually generate.
Meanwhile in Northern Ireland, energy company SSE Airtricity is increasing its gas and electricity prices once more, following price increases enforced in the Spring of this year. While energy prices have more than doubled in recent months, customers will now see gas prices rise by 28.3% from 1 October while electricity prices will soar by 35.4% from the same date, impacting 188,000 households.