Cork to protest energy hikes
“It’s only a matter of time before we find people dead in their homes because they’re afraid to turn on their electricity or their heating.”
Those were the words of Caitriona Twomey of Cork Penny Dinners ahead of a protest against energy price hikes taking place in the city on 17 September. The protest, which is being organised by the Cork Cost of Living Campaign in association with the National Cost of Living Coalition, will gather at 2pm on Grand Parade near Cork City Library. An official route will be confirmed in the coming days.
Speaking at a press conference in Blackpool on Tuesday, Ms Twomey said people are “petrified” of the impending hikes in gas and electricity prices coming into effect on 1 October.
“I certainly don’t like what I see every single day and I know the people going through this are hurt beyond measure,” said Ms Twomey.
She continued: “They cannot even put it into words how upset, how anxious, how fearful they are of what this winter is going to bring.
“They’re hungry. They have things inflicted on them like food poverty, rental poverty, bill poverty. We have people that are homeless on the streets.
“The Government has a good country and there’s good people in it and I suggest they look after them better than what they have.”
On 26 August, SSE Airtricity announced plans to increase its standard household prices for a typical customer by 35.4% for electricity and 39% for gas. On 1 September, Electric Ireland made a similar announcement, outlining plans to increase residential electricity bills by 26.7% and gas bills by 37.5%. Both increases come into effect on 1 October.
It is estimated that the hikes will increase electricity and gas bills by more than €1,000 for customers. Also speaking at the press conference was Sinn Féin TD for Cork North-Central Thomas Gould who said the Government is “detached from ordinary people” and needs to start listening.
Deputy Gould said: “For them to have an understanding of how hard it is for everybody, they need to listen to people. That’s why this march is so important.
“Think of the families now who are looking at Christmas and trying to pay their bills and get presents for the children. It’s going to be really hard.”
Commenting on the price hikes, Electric Ireland Executive Director Pat Fenlon said: “It is with considerable reluctance that we are increasing electricity and gas prices again for our customers, which is necessary given the continuing increases in wholesale energy prices, particularly gas.”