Skerries Man Denied Aid for €200 Electricity Arrears Amid Rising Bills
Michael Coveney, 52, from Skerries, faces €200 electricity arrears and was denied state aid. Disabled by long Covid, he struggles with rising costs and an 11% energy price hike from July 1st. He is among 318,735 Irish homes behind on electricity bills.
Michael Coveney, 52, of Skerries, north Co Dublin, is struggling with electricity bill arrears since November, now totaling approximately €200. He was refused an exceptional needs payment by the Department of Social Protection, which stated these household bills are predictable and should be budgeted for weekly.
Coveney, who has long Covid and receives a disability allowance of €254 weekly plus a €35 monthly household benefits package, had to give up his work as a shuttering carpenter. He also receives a €538 fuel allowance twice a year, which previously covered a nearly €500 electricity bill from December and January. To manage, he has deferred other payments, including €450 for TV and broadband, which he needs due to his disability.
His weekly expenses include about €100 for groceries, plus bin and phone costs, from just over €100 after paying €48 weekly rent to Fingal County Council, an increase from €36. He last went on holiday in 2012 and relies on Penneys or second-hand for clothes. New figures show 318,735 homes (one in seven) were behind on electricity bills by March. Energy prices are set to increase by 11 percent from July 1st.