Newly released CRU data paints a stark picture of the pressure families are under, and the Government’s failure to act in the budget. These figures show a crisis that is getting worse, not better. The CRU must commit to publishing the data in a reliable schedule.
Lynn Boylan MEP said:
“In a new low for Irish politics, this Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Government has presided over the worst period of energy arrears since records began.
“In August, almost 308,000 people were in arrears on their energy bills – the highest number since records began. That record came just one month after the previous high of 305,000 in July.
“While the numbers dipped slightly in September to 297,000, that is no cause for celebration because that’s nearly 22,000 more people in arrears than the same point last year.
“And worse, people don’t even have the relief of energy credits to look forward to this winter.
“The long-term trend is moving sharply in the wrong direction, with more households than ever before falling more than 90 days behind on their bills. I welcome that the CRU is finally publishing this metric as standard practice, after my FOI request revealed they had been providing it to Government for months without making it public.
“If the Government is serious about protecting households, it must get a handle on the runaway price gouging that has taken hold in the energy market.
Timing of release
“The timing of this release is deeply troubling. It’s two months since the last so called monthly update. These figures should have informed public debate in the run-up to the Budget, yet the CRU chose to sit on them despite previously committing to publishing them monthly.
“The idea that the CRU can choose when to release such vital information must come to an end. The regulator must now set out a clear, reliable schedule for publishing arrears data every month going forward like the homelessness figures.”
