Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)

We are all aware that electricity prices are crushing many families across the country at the moment. They are so high. We have among the highest electricity prices in Europe. Recently we were told by the International Energy Agency that our retail prices are three times higher than our wholesale prices. The savings the energy companies are making on wholesale energy are not being passed through to customers. We are seeing continual rises from the companies of between €120 to €220 on average bills, and that is despite their own costs going down. There is a question as to whether these companies are gouging customers. Indeed, the Government's interim report, the affordability report, made a recommendation that the CRU investigate price gouging by these companies. Did the Minister speak to these companies about price gouging and about them actually reducing their prices, not helping people pay their extortionate prices but reducing the prices for ordinary families across the country?

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