Cost of living: Older people in Cork skipping meals to pay for energy bills claims advocate

A CORK advocate for older people is pleading with energy suppliers to continue to reduce their prices amid concerns that some are skipping meals to keep their lights on.

Paddy O’Brien is urging other companies to follow the lead of PrepayPower and FloGas, the latest energy companies to announce price cuts.

Mr O’Brien said these reductions could not have come at a better time, considering the recent concerns he has been dealing with.

He said that some people have put a stop to their weekly shop to spread out the cost of food to compensate for high electricity costs.

He said some people in this vulnerable position will often favour warmth over three meals a day.

“I can honestly say that [price reductions] are great news,” Mr O’Brien told The Echo.

“However, it’s not an exaggeration to say that people are going without three meals a day to pay extortionate bills.

“I would be urging other organisations to follow these companies’ lead.

“People are afraid that they will end up living in darkness.

“I have people coming to me who are going to bed at 9pm, not because they are tired, but because they don’t want to use any electricity. It means they can’t stay up and watch television.”

MEETING WITH RETAILERS

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Energy Minister Eamon Ryan met with Ireland’s four largest energy retailers — SSE Airtricity, Bord Gáis Energy, Energia, and Electric Ireland — earlier this week to reiterate the Government’s concern at persistently high energy prices and to discuss how customers could be best supported for the coming winter.

This week PrepayPower pledged to slash its gas unit prices by 13.5%. Its electricity unit prices will be reduced by 12.8% from the beginning of next month. The savings will result in an approximate reduction of €435 a year for the average dual-fuel customer.

Meanwhile, FloGas is set to cut electricity and gas prices by up to 30% from November 6.

The reductions apply to all variable rate customers and equate to a saving of €74.58 per month on the average electricity bill or €895 annually and €64.84 monthly — €778 annually — on the average natural gas bill.

Mr O’Brien said overall the cost-of-living crisis is severely impacting the social lives of older people.

“This has been a source of stress for a lot of elderly citizens,” he said. “One woman told me she no longer goes to bingo.

“The cost-of-living crisis is really isolating people. Having their hair done and the weekly shop are all gone.

“They are denying themselves because of the fear of bills coming through the door. It means that isolation is becoming the norm.”

He said that many of the older people he is dealing with are in dire financial positions.

“Anything energy companies can do to cut down expenses should be welcomed,” he added.

Meanwhile, president of St Vincent De Paul South-West, Paddy O’Flynn, said there has been huge demand for help with gas and electricity in recent weeks.

“There is no letup in the demand for help with gas and electricity,” he said. “We are already beginning to see calls for coal and also with energy supplies. The demand generally comes from people who are trying to survive on social welfare or people who are on minimum wage and single-parent families.

“We acknowledge that the reduction in energy prices will make some difference.

“However, the Government needs to do an awful lot more. We are pleased to see that the Taoiseach and Minister Ryan met the energy suppliers in the last couple of days and told them that they need to do an awful lot more.

“We are expecting some help in the budget as well when it comes in October.”