‘I simply cannot afford to pay it’: Readers have their say on their ‘horrifying’ energy bills

Pensioner living alone says ‘no one seems to be able to explain the huge increase’ in her electricity bills

The rise in energy bill prices in recent months has left people “shocked” and “struggling to survive”, readers of The Irish Times have said in response to a call-out to share their experiences.

It’s a situation that’s “too difficult to live in” for Sadia Hafeez from Co Cork, who is a single parent and living on social welfare.

“I tried not to spend too much electricity but the bills are still high and out of my reach,” she said.

One woman told The Irish Times that a recent bill amounted to 50 per cent of her household’s income.

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Marie Prendergast, from Co Tipperary, said her bill for a 43 day period came to €765.

“That is almost 50 per cent of the money coming into our house. There is only two of us and like a lot of other people we have cut usage to the bone. I was horrified,” she said.

“I rang Electric Ireland and told them they’d made a mistake but they explained that it was correct”.

If prices continue to rise, Ms Prendergast “may have to take out a loan to help us out,” she said.

More energy credits would be “appreciated” but they should be “more targeted to vulnerable people and low income households,” Giselle King from Co Clare said, after receiving a bill of more than €1,000 at the end of February.

“I am a carer with two children with special needs and I simply cannot afford to pay it. It’s scandalous nothing is done to lower these obscene prices,” she said.

A woman from Co Wexford, said she had the “same usage as previous years” with just herself and her child in the house.

However, in an effort to save money, the woman had a heat pump and changed old lights to LEDs at the beginning of winter to follow “energy efficient” advice.

She also asked Electric Ireland for advice over the phone and was offered a 10 per cent reduction if she entered a new 12 month contract.

A woman from Co Tipperary said she “can’t go on” with the price increases and was “struggling to survive”.

The woman works three days a week, receiving “between €207 to €250 a week” but was not entitled to fuel allowance or “any extra money that has been given to people on social welfare, even though I’m probably on less money”.

Without the assistance, she says, she “can’t go on like this”.

“Everything has gone up and I’m struggling to work out how I’m going to manage. The electricity is gone beyond a joke now. Every two months my bill keeps going up by nearly €200. My most recent bill was €622,” she said.

The woman wondered “how someone on just over €200 is meant to afford this on top of rent and bins and so on”.

Madge O’Callaghan from Co Clare said she doesn’t know “who to ask for help at this stage” after her most recent bill was €910.88.

“I am a pensioner living alone. I was out of the country for two weeks during this period. My previous bill was €685. I had a smart meter installed last August. Prior to this my electricity was an average of €120 per two months,” she explained.

Ms O’Callaghan had been monitoring her smart meter since she received her last bill, and on days when she was not home, it was “showing usage of 16 units per day – more than the average family usage”.

“This week, I’m averaging 20 units per day. I did one load of washing on my A-rated washing machine and vacuumed once. I use the TV most days and the kettle, I don’t cook a lot and rarely bake,” she said.

She also tried “switching off the electricity at the mains for 30 minutes” but her meter didn’t move.

“No one seems to be able to explain the huge increase. Most of my friends have found that they are in credit because of Government subsidies,” she said.

Avril O’Byrne told The Irish Times she agreed to the installation of a smart meter in November 2021 and “suddenly from that date my bimonthly bills rocketed”.

“I am not speaking here about the monetary cost, rather the usage. When compared to the previous two years I was landed with unexplained extra usage totals of 350kW,” she said.

Ms O’Byrne first thought the meter must be faulty but “no company would take ownership of this”.

Ms O’Byrne’s supplier told her that to lodge a complaint and have an inspector sent to her home, she would “have to pay €180 up front, with the chance it would be non-refundable”.

“Where on earth do you get such shocking customer service; no warranty, no installation follow-up?” she said.

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Jade Wilson

Jade Wilson

Jade Wilson is a reporter for The Irish Times