A leading charity claims many Clare families are in thousands of euros in arrears on their fuel bills.
It follows a new ESRI report which found 14% of Irish households couldn’t afford to heat their homes in 2024.
The Economic and Social Research Institute Report found that one in seven Irish households couldn’t afford their utility bills two years ago.
Although this is well below the figure of one in four seen after the 2008 financial crash, the latest conflict in the Middle East still has to be factored in to give an accurate picture of the realities facing struggling households today.
President of Clare Saint Vincent De Paul, Jorien Szkudlarski says several families presenting to them are in thousands of arrears and is encouraging anyone in need to reach out for help.
The ERSI has attributed the levels of energy poverty to low disposable incomes, high energy costs and poor quality housing.
Family Support Worker at Killaloe/Ballina Family Resource Centre Marie Moroney believes a means tested scheme should be introduced to benchmark electricity costs for low income households.
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