Government leaves families in the cold as energy arrears soar
Government leaves families in the cold as energy arrears soar - The Labour Party
- Labour to use Dáil time next week to seek moratorium on new data centres and demand action on soaring energy costs
Labour energy spokesperson Ciarán Ahern TD has called on Government to urgently tackle energy affordability and reinstate targeted support for struggling households following the publication of new Commission for Regulation of Utilities figures showing a sharp increase in domestic energy arrears. The Labour Party will use its Private Members’ Time in the Dáil next week to call for an independent study into the impact of data centres on electricity prices, carbon emissions and grid stability, and for a moratorium on further data centre construction until sufficient offshore wind generation comes online and households and businesses can benefit from lower energy costs.
The latest figures show that 318,735 households were in electricity arrears and 183,468 were in gas arrears at the end of the first quarter of 2026, a significant increase on the 200,819 households in electricity arrears and 160,399 households in gas arrears recorded in the first quarter of 2023.
Deputy Ahern said:
“These figures are stark, but they tell us what we already knew. Government’s decision to remove energy credits has pushed more and more vulnerable households into energy poverty. Families who were already struggling with the cost of living have been left to shoulder rising bills without the support they need.
“The energy credits were only ever intended as a temporary measure while Government worked to address the underlying causes of high energy costs and poor affordability. The problem is that those underlying issues remain completely unaddressed. Labour repeatedly called for targeted energy support in the Budget. We warned that withdrawing assistance without addressing affordability would leave many families unable to keep up with their bills. Government ignored those warnings and people are now paying the price.
“These arrears figures have been published in the same week that we learned households are paying up to 80 per cent more for their electricity than some of the largest energy users in the country, including data centres. Ordinary workers, families and pensioners are being asked to pay significantly more while some of the wealthiest corporations in the world benefit from preferential arrangements.
“Regular people who work hard, pay their taxes and contribute to their communities are effectively subsidising ultra-wealthy corporations. That is not fair and it is not sustainable. At a time when families are cutting back on essentials to pay their bills, the Government continues to prioritise the interests of major energy users over ordinary consumers.
“Data centres already account for around half of all electricity consumed in Dublin and Meath and they are projected to account for 30 per cent of national electricity demand by 2030. The strain this places on our electricity network is enormous. Despite this, Government remains committed to allowing largely unfettered data centre expansion without properly addressing the impact on households, affordability or climate targets.
“Government must stop ignoring the warning signs. It must immediately introduce targeted supports for households in energy poverty, ensure that ordinary consumers are treated fairly within our energy system and bring forward a credible plan to manage energy demand. That is why Labour will use its Private Members’ Time in the Dáil next week to demand an independent assessment of the true impact of data centres on electricity prices, carbon emissions and grid stability, and to call for a moratorium on further data centre construction until sufficient offshore wind generation comes online and delivers lower energy costs for households and businesses.
“Families cannot continue to carry the burden while large corporations receive special treatment. The time for excuses is over. Government must support Labour’s Dáil motion next week and act now to make energy affordable, fair and sustainable for everyone.”