Soaring energy costs - We still have our heads in the sand

SUSTAINABLE Energy Ireland (SEI) yesterday confirmed what we already know — we are spending an ever-greater proportion of our income on energy.

The average household spends €1,700 a year on energy, an increase of 70% since 1990. For many families, especially those committed to long-range commuting to Dublin from the dormitory towns all along the east coast, that figure will be even higher.

More than 145,000 households are experiencing fuel poverty, which, SEI defines as spending more than 10% of disposable income on energy. And, it seems, that no matter what we do, these figures will just rise and rise.