Electricity Arrears Hit Highest Ever Level In Ireland

Electricity arrears now affect 14% of customers

A total of 322,298 customers were in arrears on their electricity bills in April, a small increase on the March figure of 318,735. This represents 14% of all domestic electricity customers. Of those households behind on their bills, 186,380 are more than three months in arrears. The number of domestic gas customers in arrears has also been rising, reaching 185,940 households in April.

The CRU began collecting arrears data in 2016, when around 271,173 households, or roughly 13% of the total, were behind on their electricity bills.

Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan said the figures were "another stain on the record" of the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Government, criticising the Government’s decision to axe energy credits and its continued greenlighting of energy-hungry data centres. For more cost-of-living news, stay with joe.ie.