Businesses ‘struggling’ to pay electricity costs

ELECTRICITY suppliers must reduce costs to ease the pressure on Irish business, according to an energy report issued yesterday by the National Competitiveness Council (NCC).

The NCC report says businesses are struggling to pay Irish electricity charges of 35.5% above the eurozone average and 28% more than in Britain, according to figures dating to the end of 2008.

Since that time, some efforts have been made to reduce electricity prices for the food, pharma and ICT sectors, a move the NCC praised.