Do not harm your health while reducing energy usage, Taoiseach says

Executive director of European Movement Ireland, Noelle O'Connell, Education Minister Norma Foley, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, and European Affairs Minister Thomas Byrne with student Annabelle Martin from Kildare Place School in Rathmines at the launch of MyEU50: The Ireland EU50 Youth Competition. Picture: Conor McCabe

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has urged people not to jeopardise their health while trying to reduce their energy usage this winter.

Mr Martin said people should examine their situation at home and be more energy efficient but said he would not tell people what they should or should not do.

“Energy efficiency is a no-brainer in this situation,” he said, but “health comes first and people have to look after their health and people have to look after their heating where required, there’s no question about that”.

It comes after ministers approved an energy memo at Cabinet which set out a maximum temperature limit of 19C in public buildings, consolidation of staff inside buildings to reduce heating bills, and ensuring lights are turned off after work.

A public information campaign will encourage households and businesses to avoid using appliances at peak times — between 4pm and 7pm.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the commission will propose a mandatory target for reducing electricity use at peak hours and said, “we will work very closely with member states to achieve this”.

However, the Taoiseach said every family will have its own different circumstances, and that people will “have to do the best they can, that’s all”.

He said the campaign will not be about telling families when or how they can use electricity, but it will be a “general theme of energy efficiency”.

Ms von der Leyen also said a cap would be imposed on the revenues of companies producing electricity with low costs.

She said that “low carbon energy sources” are enjoying low costs but high prices on the market and that “unexpected profits” would be channeled to EU members to support vulnerable households and business.

When asked how this money will be prioritised, Mr Martin said the revenues that will flow from the decision by the EU will not be enormous and will not be the key measure to relieve pressure on people.

However, he said it could lead to “more ongoing revenue stream” because the energy crisis will continue well into 2023 “so we do need sustainability in our response to this crisis financially”.

He added: “We will target but we all think everybody has been affected and so we will have a number of measures and, in particular, those on the lowest incomes will be targeted to enable them to get through... families with children; [it] can be very, very expensive situation for those and we will focus in on families and more generally across the economy.”

He added: “There are three prongs. The key one is to really alleviate pressures on families and businesses arising from cost increases, ensuring security of supply and then dealing with the excess revenues that companies have enjoyed, and being able to utilise some of that to help us on the alleviation side.”

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said households would receive an additional energy credit before Christmas to help with soaring bills.

However, Mr Martin declined to confirm that this would be the case.

He said the Government is also looking at ways to further reduce public transport costs as part of the Budget.