Quarter of Irish household gas bills in arrears last April

The average owed on electricity was €454.97, while it was €239.84 for gas customers in arrears last April. File Picture: Danny Lawson/PA

Irish households are collectively almost €150m in debt on their energy bills, new figures have revealed, owing an average of over €450 on their electricity and nearly €240 on gas.

It comes as the Society of St Vincent de Paul charity said it was receiving a high number of calls from people seeking help paying their energy bills as consumers were warned they could face a tax hike on their bills.