Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 December 2025
125. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment his Department’s current forecast for average household electricity and gas bills for winter 2025–2026; the variables used in these projections; and how these forecasts compare with those used when the decision was made to remove electricity credits. [69900/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraRegulation of retail energy markets is solely a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) since the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and subsequent legislation. However, officials from my Department correspond with the CRU on an ongoing basis to track developments in retail and wholesale energy markets.
The CRU regularly releases market monitoring data to my Department including key items such as estimated annual bills (EABs) for households and the number of households in payment arrears on their electricity and gas bills. According to the latest CRU figures (for November 2025) the market average estimated annual bill for electricity is €1,874 and €1,524 for gas.
EABs are calculated based on an estimated average household consumption of 4,200 kWh of electricity and 11,000 kWh of gas, with the market average EABs calculated by multiplying the estimated annual bill for a standard supplier tariff by their market share. The latest EAB figures account for the announcements by several suppliers of tariff increases in recent months. Prices are expected to remain at their current levels for the duration of winter 2025/26. Customers can reduce their energy costs by switching supplier, which has the potential to save households hundreds of euros annually by moving from their current tariff to the cheapest deals available.
