There has been a ‘notable’ increase in the number of Irish households entering arrears on domestic gas bills, according to Ireland’s independent energy and water regulator.
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities, publishing its report on Arrears and NPA disconnections for the first half of 2023 on Monday, found there had been a month on month jump in the number of domestic gas customers finding themselves in arrears since November 2022.
For non-domestic customers, the numbers falling into arrears has remained “broadly stable” – with an increase in both markets recorded in Q1 of this year, before decreasing again in Q2, the report stated.
It said there had also been a “notable increase” in the number of domestic energy customers going into arrears on energy bills since the government’s last emergency electricity credit, back in March.
The statistics from the regulator indicate that 256,000 households were in arrears in the three months leading up to June – which equates to around one in eight Irish households.
The amount of people falling behind on their energy bills has surged by almost 55,000 compared with the first three months of 2023.
The number of people in arrears on electricity bills increased from 285,091 in May of this year to 298,075 in June. The number of gas customers falling into arrears, meanwhile, went from 172,415 in May to 175,569 in June.
An increase in accounts being disconnected because of non-payment also saw an increase. In April 2023, 15 domestic electricity accounts were disconnected because of failure to pay; this rose to 132 in May, and jumped again in June to 145 accounts.
For non-domestic accounts, this figure decreased from 53 in May to 40 in June. There were a total of 21 domestic gas accounts disconnected because of non-payment in April, which surged to 192 in May, and 202 in July.
The figures are likely to prompt urgent calls for the government to introduce measures to alleviate stress on families, workers and businesses ahead of Budget 2024.
Speaking last week, Deputy Ossian Smyth of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, highlighted how Irish energy prices are now “nearly double” what they were two years ago.
“Although wholesale prices have reduced in recent months, they are still significantly above their long-term average and household gas and electricity bills are still nearly double what they were two years ago,” he said.
He said that the Government was “aware of the impact” increased energy costs have had on households and businesses and referenced supports introduced in last year’s budget.
However, he said that a cap on market revenues should be implemented, as he referenced the Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Temporary Solidarity Contribution) Bill 2023, published by Eamon Ryan in July.
A report from the Austrian and Hungarian energy regulator in August found that Irish consumers pay annual electricity bills that are roughly €800 higher than the EU average.
The report, commissioned by energy regulators in Austria and Hungary, found that Dublin ranks top with London when it comes to being the most expensive capital city in Europe for electricity. Dublin was also the fourth most expensive for residential natural gas, with Prague. Riga and Berlin also in the top five.