A large number of households across Ireland have begun to fall into arears on their gas and electricity bills as the cost of the utilities continue to soar.
The number of households in arrears on their gas bills in March rose to a record 25% - 170,744 - compared to 23% a month earlier, figures from the Commission for Regulation of Utilities have revealed.However, the percentage of non-domestic gas users overdue on their accounts dropped from 30% to 28% at the end of the same period. The percentage of nondomestic electricity customers in arrears also rose from 16% at the end of February to 17% at the end of March.
Speaking to the Irish Daily Mail, Daragh Cassidy, of utility price comparison site Bonkers.ie, described the arrears figures as a "mixed bag". "Government support in the form of energy credits, a mild winter and a reduction in energy prices in recent months have all likely contributed to this.