Kerosene in Laois jumps from 99 cent to €1.57 in three days

A Laois fuel company raised the price of a litre of kerosene from 99 cents to €1.57 in three days, according to Deputy Brian Stanley. 

The Laois TD raised the issue of fuel hikes in the Dáil with Tánaiste Simon Harris on Thursday.

“One company in Laois was charging 99 cents on Monday morning and by yesterday morning it had gone to €1.57. For a litre of kerosene, some companies are charging up to €1.71,” Dep Stanley remarked.

He said Ireland has one of the highest gas and electricity prices in the European Union. “Added to this is the fact that householders are paying almost double the cost of electricity that data centres are paying. The average cost per household is 36 cent per unit while for data centres, it is 19 cent per unit. They are clearly using their financial clout to get their way, but householders and small businesses are effectively subsidising them,” he stated.  

Dep Stanley pointed out that 319,459 people were in electricity arrears and he said the “illegal war by Israel and the United States in the Middle East” was driving up gas and oil prices. 

“Workers and households on low and middle incomes are particularly hard hit. The fuel allowance has been extended but there is a cohort not being caught with that. The hikes in energy costs come on the back of higher rents, higher mortgages, higher insurance costs, higher college fees, higher grocery costs and it goes on and on,” said Dep Stanley. 

A group he singled out as “really struggling” were people with disabilities. 

“A Government report from 2020 found that the additional cost for people with disabilities was between €8,700 and €12,300 annually. They tend to need and use more energy because they are at home more. In the budget prior to the general election, they got cost-of-living measures, additional fuel allowance, living alone allowance and energy credits. When there is no election, they get zero. The budget came and went, and they did not receive anything,” he stated, adding that their income is estimated to be down by €1,000 per year on what they received in 2025. 

Dep Stanley called for a targeted single energy payment and emphasised the need for it to be targeted. 

“I say targeted because I do not want money thrown all over the place. I got an energy credit a year and a half or 15 months ago from the Government. We(TDs) should not be getting an energy credit. We need to target it at those who need it, such as those who are on the median income or on low incomes,” said Dep Stanley.   

He also asked if the Government would move to end price-gouging and if it would strengthen the powers of the CCPC(Competition and Consumer Protection Commission). 

Mr Harris said the Government intends to strengthen the powers of the CCPC. “I also agree with him on there not being a need for a universal energy credit anymore. I agree that TDs do not need energy credits. There are people who need assistance,” he said. 

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Mr Harris said that while the headline figures on data centres don’t seem fair,  “when you look at the detail, it is not comparing like with like. The data centres have to pay significant fixed costs for the infrastructure, as is right and appropriate. The tariff might be lower but the actual amount they are spending on the energy infrastructure is a hell of a lot higher, as it should be, than a household. That is an important point.” 

He rejected Dep Stanley’s assertion that nothing was done. “We have increased the level of investment in disability services this year by around 20%, with €618 million extra. That was the priority - investing further in disability services with much-needed investment. We have said very clearly that we will devise a cost-of-disability payment,” said Mr Harris. 

He said a prolonged war in the Middle East and the Gulf region could lead to inflation but said the “this country is approaching this moment of potential economic shock from a position of strength” and has built up “financial buffers”. 

Dep Stanley said “I wish to highlight one extra factor. Progress is being made with retrofitting, but it is slow enough. Some 75% of homes in the midlands and in counties like Laois are basically on solid fuel or oil. That tells you they need an energy upgrade. They are caught because they have high energy costs. There is a particular problem here for people in County Laois and in the midlands.” 

In response, Mr Harris said he was conscious of the issues.”We have taken a number of practical measures already to assist people, including the expansion of the fuel allowance to 50,000 more households next week, the reduction of the VAT rate on people's energy bills, the reduction of the PSO and increasing the rate of fuel allowance. We will continue to work on this intensively in the time ahead”, he said.