Let’s hope for a balmy spring – we can’t afford not to! Gas prices have increased by more than a third in two years. The last round of increases – of up to 2.04% – heaped almost €20 a year extra onto household bills. Our other major energy bill– electricity is set to rise by an expected 2 % – adding further pressure on household budgets. The last round of gas price increases added a... read more>

Are our electricity prices the most shocking in Europe? Electricity prices are set to rise again in February – by another 2per cent. That follows a rise in the cost of electricity of approximately 3 per cent last November – adding approximately €40 a year to household bills.  And that increase came on top of a €20 charge to subsidise wind and peat power. Only a few months earlier an EU... read more>

Hard pressed householders might be in for a summer bargain from gas suppliers. The likelihood is that  of Bord Gais Energy  will spark a price war among gas suppliers – or at least offer consumers some new bargain buys. If the gas market follows the pattern of change that followed the deregulation of electricity, it will increase competition between energy suppliers and provide consumers ... read more>

Do you know how much electricity or gas you use each year? Most people don’t and research suggests that’s why householders are shocked when their bills arrive. And, that’s proven by the large number of people who can’t pay their bill in full on time. The Commission for Energy Research says that a typical 3 bedroomed household uses 5,300kWh of electricity a year – based on Electric Irel... read more>

What makes you want to join in a consumer campaign? And have you got the time to be involved? The answer to any, or all of these questions determines whether a campaign is successful. In Ireland, campaigners on consumer issues have had mixed results – and for a variety of reasons. One of the most successful must surely have been the “Buy Irish” campaign pioneered by Vivian Murray of... read more>