Head of Social Justice and Policy for the Society of St Vincent de Paul Ireland (SVP) said to The Irish Catholic that SVP are “very concerned” about the impact of energy costs on struggling households, after SSE Airtricity’s recent decision to increase electricity and gas prices by 9.4% and 11.6%, respectively.
Ms Bayliss reported that the organisation has received an 8% increase in requests for help with energy costs, “compared to the same period last year.”
“We know many households who are already in energy arrears will be now facing even higher costs,” continued Ms Bayliss.
Referencing SSE’s price increase in a press release, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín described the news as the “second hit on working families in two days”, following the announcement regarding fare increases for public transport.
“There seems to be no end to the pressure being placed on ordinary households,” said Deputy Tóibín. “Almost 320,000 domestic electricity customers are already in arrears. That shows the scale of the pressure many households are under before this latest round of increases takes effect.”
The Aontú leader asserted that public policy “should be focused on reducing the burden on households, not adding to it.”