Sinn Féin spokesperson on Climate Action, Darren O’Rourke TD, has called on the government to intervene to ensure energy companies pass on savings made on wholesale charges to all customers.

Teachta O’Rourke said:

“Energy prices for ordinary citizens remain sky-high, and workers and families across the state were left dismayed that there were no additional measures in the government’s cost-of-living to reduce extortionate bills for electricity, gas and home heating oil.

“Energy companies reported record profits for 2022 at a time when prices were hiked and businesses and families struggled to pay their bills.

“In many cases these record profits are multiples of previous records. The figures are eye-watering and obscene, and facilitated by this government’s inaction. 

“Why is the government still dithering over windfall tax? Why has the government failed to introduce a cap on energy prices?

“Confirmation this week that Electric Ireland will reduce bills for small and medium enterprises by 10% from Wednesday is very welcome relief for those businesses. 

“But it does not go anywhere near far enough – workers and families are being left out in the cold again.

“We need to see the huge savings that energy companies are making following reductions to wholesale energy prices passed on to all customers, not just a small group of business customers, and the government must intervene to make that happen.

“I will be raising this with Minister Eamon Ryan in the Dáil today. The Minister and this government must stop treating energy companies with kid gloves.”