Fourteen per cent of domestic electricity customers were in arrears last December. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA WireAlmost 320,000 domestic customers were unable to pay their electricity bills last December, according to figures from the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU). The number of people unable to pay their energy bills in full rose to 319,459 in December, up from 264,458 in December 2024 – an annual increase of nearly 20 per cent. Overall, 14 per cent of domestic electricity customers were in arrears last December. Housing minister James Browne said energy credits were part of “emergency measures” put in place to help households with rising costs.

Source: The Irish Times February 27, 2026 15:01 UTC