CRU: Gas Network Charges May Rise by 2031 Despite Falling Demand

Ireland's Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has initiated a consultation to determine prices Gas Networks Ireland (GNI) can charge for network use from 2024 to 2031. The CRU warns that a potential reduction in gas demand and customer numbers over time may increase network charges, though no specific estimate for the five-year period is available yet.

Government plans to boost renewable electricity, including for home heating, are expected to cut natural gas demand into the next decade. Despite this, natural gas, which generated about 42 per cent of the Republic's electricity in 2024, will remain crucial for energy security, electricity generation, and industry. GNI must maintain and develop its network to meet these needs, including peak winter demand, potentially distributing costs among fewer users.

GNI is also supporting renewable gas development, such as biomethane. CRU Chairman Fergal Mulligan stated that the strategy paper is a key first step as Ireland's energy system undergoes significant change, emphasizing the need for the gas network to operate safely and reliably while adapting to a lower-carbon future.