ESB Electric Ireland to increase prices by 14.8%

LighterGuy

From RTE news piece

ESB Electric Ireland confirmed today that its residential electricity prices will increase from 1 October.
Electricity unit rates and standing charges at the company will increase by 14.8%, with the company blaming rising international prices for the change.
ESB Electric Ireland General Manager Liam Molloy said: 'We regret that we have had to increase our electricity prices at this time.
'We will continue to work with our customers who are facing difficulties in dealing with their electricity accounts,' he said.
He said the company can no longer continue to absorb rising international energy prices without reflecting them in the prices it charges customers.
'We have held off increasing electricity prices for as long as possible,' Mr Molloy said.

So 14.8% ...
But ... apart from that Bord Gais was approved the price hike by 22% come october too ... ( link )

Its bad isnt it? times are tough and the utility services raise prices?

Jagle

over 40 years ago id say we realised that coal and oil and gas would run out.

so because ESB didnt bother investing money into rewenable energy, dam, hydro, tidal, wind and continued to pump money into oil and gas now we all suffer..

why dont esb begin to invest money into cheaper energy

latenia

It's nothing more than an organised extortion racket.

According to the last annual report the company employs 7,870 staff, which would leave pay and pension costs for each employee costing on average €98,678 per head.

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/average-pay-and-pension-of-esb-workers-near-euro100000-2065160.html

LighterGuy

I actually question if "international prices" being the reason why? I mean... greed after all. Its all around us. Especially within companies.

I dont know much about how ESB makes electricity. I admit that. But from that report, sounds like they use materials or something from other countries to produce it. But even with limited knowledge I reckon greed is still at hand. I mean 14.8%? is that really what is necessary? In reality a 8% (etc) rise could of sufficed? .. but why not slap more on... we'll likely never know. BUT HECK! lets be honest. they might not needed to of rasied it at all.

Even then, mark my words, even with this price hike. They'll be announcing lay-offs in the months to come.

J. Marston

Fúck sake.

Adyx

Jagle wrote: »

over 40 years ago id say we realised that coal and oil and gas would run out.

so because ESB didnt bother investing money into rewenable energy, dam, hydro, tidal, wind and continued to pump money into oil and gas now we all suffer..

why dont esb begin to invest money into cheaper energy

While I don't disagree with your point, remember that this is Ireland and therefore there are fúck-all places to put a dam and when it comes to wind pretty much everyone is "not in my backyard".

OPENROAD

Fecking brilliant

ilovesleep

Good fcuking lord give me strength. No doubt the nation will roll around and accept this price hike. Like always

Asphyxia

*Face palm*

zuroph

Thats shocking...

ilovesleep

I mean where do they think people will get this money with many struggling or just about managing as it is. The family at home are in a relatively good position as in they have no debts but things are still tough. I can't imagine what its like for those with a loan to pay off. This price hike is going to take more money out of pockets that are already empty or draining fast which means more unemployment. I know FF sent this country
down the sh1tters but well done FG for continuing in their footsteps.


I wonder if people were to get up and protest against it would it reverse this plan.

FesterBeatty

ilovesleep wrote: »

Good fcuking lord give me strength. No doubt the nation will roll around and accept this price hike. Like always

Obviously. Because we have no power, voice, influence or say. It's going to happen regardless. What should we do?

pljudge321

Adyx wrote: »

While I don't disagree with your point, remember that this is Ireland and therefore there are fúck-all places to put a dam and when it comes to wind pretty much everyone is "not in my backyard".

Not to mention that tidal and wave are both pipe dreams and there are massive engineering problems with integrating large amounts of wind into a power grid.

Daroxtar

Airtricity are hiking prices too due to ....an increase in the price of wind??!!??

TanG411

It's Joe time.

terradactyl84

FesterBeatty wrote: »

Obviously. Because we have no power, voice, influence or say. It's going to happen regardless. What should we do?

Hold on a second, don't we as the people of Ireland own a large stake in the ESB? Doesn't our money as taxes fund this semi-state company? Surely then we have a say in how it's run?

boatbuilder

I can see two wind farms from my house. Wouldn't mind only one of the main bargaining chips they used at the time was that the wind turbines would make electricity cheaper.

Ronin247

LighterGuy wrote: »

.........................................................................

Even then, mark my words, even with this price hike. They'll be announcing lay-offs in the months to come.

Ha ha ESB announcing lay-offs.Even though there is no longer thousands of extra houses to connect up each year there will be no lay offs,I would not be surprised if there were pay rises!!!!

pljudge321

Daroxtar wrote: »

Airtricity are hiking prices too due to ....an increase in the price of wind??!!??

Bit of an explanation of how the electricity market works here is needed. Generation and customer supply is separate here. Airtricity Generation will sell electricity into a centrally traded pool along with all other generators with the price set every half hour. The customer supply side of the company will then buy electricity from that pool and sell it to their customers, usually at a fixed price. When price set into the pool is low the company makes its money on the customer side where the price is fixed, and when the cost is high (i.e when gas is expensive or a peaking plant has to run) it makes money on the generation side.

In reality the amount of energy that Airtricity will be supplying into the pool will rarely meet the amount the will be buying from the pool to sell to their customers. Hence why they are susceptible to

goose2005

seems a bit odd, as in my experience with VDP the ESB just let people run up enormous balances without even trying to get them to pay some of the bill, and then usually just write it off as a loss. Presumably this is a way of making those who do pay their bills subsidise the increasing number of people who don't.

lastlaugh

Fantastic news. So, come October when it's getting darker and colder, we will all be stung with a double-whammy charge increase. Then the household tax in January.
Next year is looking grim already.

Sky King

Fuck it anyway.

I got a letter from Bank of Fuckface yesterday as well jacking up my mortgage interest rates from October.

Wertz

I pissed and moaned about cartels in the bord gáis thread but looking at things in the UK, their utilities are facing almost identical price rises. Not excusing hikes in the sligthest but it has to be said that in the main, electricity generation on these islands relies on imported fossil fuels which are rising due to an y number of factos and will continue to rise in thr coming years and decades. It's not nice that we get these rises coming into autumn winter but tbh it makes sense since every country is buying up winter supplies to get them through and after the last two winters perhaps some are stockpiling extra to allow for another arctic season.
All that said, the semi states here are still making a decent margin on the product they sell and there are plenty of issues surrounding staff wages/pensions and the size of the work force...although I doubt that any changes to those would really affect the average bill, they should still happen if only in the sense of fairness...the cut price energy bills for staff is one perk I don't think is that fair tbh...

Sky King

If only we had a massive resource of our own! Like I dunno a huge gas field or something!


(One that we hadn't given away basically for free).

Nulty

From wht I've heard, they needed to start putting up the prices last year. The price of energy has gone up across europe and the ESB are one of the last to raise their prices. They have been absorbing costs for a year. This is my cumulative knowledge...don't ask for sources!

terradactyl84

Sky King wrote: »

If only we had a massive resource of our own! Like I dunno a huge gas field or something!


(One that we hadn't given away basically for free).

Who are you going to rely on to actually take the gas from the ground and turn it into money? you think the only people in the world who can do will do it for free? what's the point then?

stovelid

ilovesleep wrote: »

Good fcuking lord give me strength. No doubt the nation will roll around and accept this price hike. Like always

Or just post angrily about it.

Spread

Have the ESB workers taken a hit across the cards like others?

galwayrush

Spread wrote: »

Have the ESB workers taken a hit across the cards like others?

They can always hike the prices to increase their take home pay if they think they are going to suffer.

jack presley

Spread wrote: »

Have the ESB workers taken a hit across the cards like others?

No, and they don't have to pay the USC either and they won't have to pay water rates or the house charge next year either. They all live like Kings.

filmbuffboy

jack presley wrote: »

No, and they don't have to pay the USC either and they won't have to pay water rates or the house charge next year either. They all live like Kings.

why dont esb workers pay the USc like everyone else? that seems downright wrong if what you say it true

slimjimmc

Daroxtar wrote: »

Airtricity are hiking prices too due to ....an increase in the price of wind??!!??

latenia wrote: »

It's nothing more than an organised extortion racket.


http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/average-pay-and-pension-of-esb-workers-near-euro100000-2065160.html

Must be an international one then

Power NI increased 20%
British Gas increase 16%
http://www.ukpower.co.uk/home_energy/price_updates

msg11

15% rise. I think the goverment needs to lower the standing charge across such bills. The price of petrol is going to go threw the roof and then that stupid carbon tax is going to go up again.

As for the wind farms? No body wants to look out there window and see one so they can't be built..

thewing

jack presley wrote: »

No, and they don't have to pay the USC either and they won't have to pay water rates or the house charge next year either. They all live like Kings.

What a fantastic piece of fiction that is!!!

Crann na Beatha

This post has been deleted.

Wertz

Oh, and in before the nuclear lobby show up...

msg11

Wertz wrote: »

Oh, and in before the nuclear lobby show up...

Well it's home grown energy. Sure if it blows up it blows up, we might as well have one. Cause if the one across the water blows up were just as ****ed.

suicide_circus

Nulty wrote: »

From wht I've heard, they needed to start putting up the prices last year. The price of energy has gone up across europe and the ESB are one of the last to raise their prices. They have been absorbing costs for a year. This is my cumulative knowledge...don't ask for sources!

Surely this is the point of a semi state orginisation? The ESB get piles of tax dollars in order to allow them to absorb losses during hard times rather than. passing on extra charges to the public. But no. Johnny Taxpayer first subsidises through taxes and then pays extra in top of their usage bills and pays vat on the power they use and a fat charge on the bill and admin charges.........and all the while the average ESB employee gets almost 100k p/a....yep, sounds about right.

ilovesleep

I thought electricity prices across europe decreased during the past couple of years whereas ours remained the same or rose.

highgiant1985

thewing wrote: »

What a fantastic piece of fiction that is!!!

yeah i agree that is rubbish Bord Gais workers do pay the USC. Possibly the poster meant they don't pay the pension levy though? I'm unsure for sure but I suspect as a semi private company they do not pay the pension levy but I am open to correction.

Shenshen

Adyx wrote: »

While I don't disagree with your point, remember that this is Ireland and therefore there are fúck-all places to put a dam and when it comes to wind pretty much everyone is "not in my backyard".

Since when is off-shore in anyone's backyard?
Also, we tend to have sea around us on all sides, the French started building tidal power stations way back in the 70s...

Kivaro

But someone has to pay for the average ESB worker salary of €75,500 a year, which are worth €94,300 when generous pension contributions are included.

Their own union rep called them 'spoilt', but hey it's Ireland, and no-one has the balls to stand up to this crap.

jack presley

thewing wrote: »

jack presley wrote: »

No, and they don't have to pay the USC either and they won't have to pay water rates or the house charge next year either. They all live like Kings.

What a fantastic piece of fiction that is!!!

Of course it was a piece of fiction (I can't believe some people bought it). Don't believe everything you read whether it be on boards or the Irish independent

Fulton Crown

Spread wrote: »

Have the ESB workers taken a hit across the cards like others?

Not really....wasn't there reports in the Media sometime back that they actually got wage INCREASES.

Wasn't it also discovered that these guys were also getting very substantial free lecky to their own homes. ?

I moved from ESB to Airtricity not because of an expectation of substantial savings but because I remember when these greedy bast@rds held us all to ransome by constantly threatning strike action.

Their CEO is also paid a really huge wedge which I prefer not to contribute to in these straitened times.

The averageamount that the ESB worker trousers is 98K according to media reports...which means that anybody in a reasonably senior position or with long service is on a very substantial wedge.

Wages and conditions are way out of kilter with European norms ...this should not have been allowed to happen.

jack presley

Fulton Crown wrote: »

Not really....wasn't there reports in the Media sometime back that they actually got wage INCREASES.

Wasn't it also discovered that these guys were also getting very substantial free lecky to their own homes. ?

I moved from ESB to Airtricity not because of an expectation of substantial savings but because I remember when these greedy bast@rds held us all to ransome by constantly threatning strike action.

Their CEO is also paid a really huge wedge which I prefer not to contribute to in these straitened times.

The averageamount that the ESB worker trousers is 98K according to media reports...which means that anybody in a reasonably senior position or with long service is on a very substantial wedge.

Wages and conditions are way out of kilter with European norms ...this should not have been allowed to happen.

You do realise that ESB still OWN all the network and carry out all the installations and repairs don't you? So regardless of which supplier you are with, you are still contributing 'in these straitened times'.

I also love quotes that include phrases like "according to media reports" etc. It was in the media so it must be true? And I'm not specifically referring to ESB here. it's the same when people are complaining about the public sector or teachers or whoever the media's target is on that specific week. It was Bord Gais earlier on this week, ESB today and it'll probably back to the public sector next week. Actually Breakingnews.ie had a great story last week as well about some government department buying Ipads for a few members of staff. The comments section below the story was hilarious!

drdeadlift

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056367326&page=2

told yee this would happen

Manach

So long as I can afford enough electricity to finish writing th

Fulton Crown

jack presley wrote: »

You do realise that ESB still OWN all the network and carry out all the installations and repairs don't you? So regardless of which supplier you are with, you are still contributing 'in these straitened times'.

I also love quotes that include phrases like "according to media reports" etc. It was in the media so it must be true? And I'm not specifically referring to ESB here. it's the same when people are complaining about the public sector or teachers or whoever the media's target is on that specific week. It was Bord Gais earlier on this week, ESB today and it'll probably back to the public sector next week. Actually Breakingnews.ie had a great story last week as well about some government department buying Ipads for a few members of staff. The comments section below the story was hilarious!

Yes yes I do realise that ESB networks own the networks etc etc and of course I realise that some of my dosh will go to these "privildged and spoilt people " to quote their own Union Official.

Now pal i do not work for the ESB nor do I care sufficiently about them to find out personally what the average wedge they trouser.

But if a figure is quoted in the media and their is NO REBUTTAL from the company concerned ...then I think you can take it that there is some truth in it.....hmmmm ?

You seem to have forgotten that it was the media that broke the banking scandal and the FAS scandal and the Nationwide scandal.

Are you proposing that the Media do not investigate the public sector /catholic Church etc and let things be swept under tha carpet.

Because that's what it sounds like....

Logical Fallacy

Jagle wrote: »

over 40 years ago id say we realised that coal and oil and gas would run out.

so because ESB didnt bother investing money into rewenable energy, dam, hydro, tidal, wind and continued to pump money into oil and gas now we all suffer..

why dont esb begin to invest money into cheaper energy

This has **** all to do with it. For the past however many years there has always been 40 more years of oil and gas left. We can currently estimate about 160 years left for coal.

Because new ways to get at the oil and gas are always being developed area's that were considered unreachable no longer are...so it's always sitting around 40 years and will be for a long time.

It has **** all to do with how the energy is generated and pretty much everything to do with ESB being saddled by a thousands pricks who do ****ing nothing, have huge wages that can't be cut and are pretty much impossible to fire.

gigino

If every business in the world paid their employees an average of 90k a year, like the ESB does, and gave huge pensions + perks, think how expensive everything would be. Shame on the ESB when the rest of us are struggling.

Fulton Crown

gigino wrote: »

If every business in the world paid their employees an average of 90k a year, like the ESB does, and gave huge pensions + perks, think how expensive everything would be. Shame on the ESB when the rest of us are struggling.

I fully agree poster...but there are a lot more than the ESB,,,a lot, lot more !