Sinn Féin MEP for Dublin, Lynn Boylan, has said government is failing to support families facing spiralling energy costs.

Figures released in response to queries by the MEP, reveal that there are over 20,000 more people in debt to electricity companies compared to this time last year.

MEP Boylan said:

“Across the state, workers and families are struggling with a cost-of-energy crisis. Bills are far too high and simply unaffordable.

“Figures released by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) at my request reveal the shocking extent of the pressure households are under.

“Around 20,420 more households were in debt to electricity companies at the end of April in 2024 compared to the same point last year. This is hugely concerning.

“The number of customers in debt to gas companies is also worryingly high. Over 169,640 households were in debt at the end of April which is 5,571 more than a year before. The government has their head in the sand and been silent on the crisis of people falling behind on gas payments. They continue to let energy companies fleece ordinary workers and families.

“Across the state, households are in arrears to energy companies by almost €150 million. This includes 230,451 electricity customers being behind on €454.97 to energy companies on average. Meanwhile, 170,744 domestic gas customers owe €239.84 each on average.

“Despite the government energy credits, there are even more people in debt now than last year. It’s clear that the government aren’t doing enough to support people struggling to pay their energy bills. Meanwhile, energy companies rake in record profits while charging exorbitant fees.

“Small and medium businesses are also badly affected. The figures show a record number of businesses behind on their payments. At the end of April, 50,828 non-domestic accounts were behind on their bills, 20% more than the same point last year. That’s alarming for SMEs in towns and villages up and down the country, who form the backbone of local economies and who employ locally.

“I’m glad to see the utility regulator has fulfilled my request for this information. Now, not only can we see how many households are in debt but the average amount that they are in debt. It is essential that they continue to publish data so it can be monitored. The situation is stark and government can no longer bury their head in the sand.

“Sinn Féin has proposed a range of measures to bring down Ireland’s excessively high energy prices for good. We would legislate to ensure the CRU has real teeth to protect consumers. We would make electricity more affordable by breaking the link between wholesale gas and electricity prices. We would increase public, domestic and community ownership of renewable energy. We would increase funding for retrofitting to ensure that households with low incomes can get fair access to funds. We would establish a taskforce to investigate and put an end to the scandal of Ireland having exorbitant energy prices compared to the rest of Europe. We would ensure no further increases to the carbon tax.

“A Sinn Féin government would stand up for ordinary workers and families to ensure they get a break from unaffordable energy costs.”