A new Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) report finds that recent energy price increases place a greater burden on low-income households than on higher-income groups. RTE reports that the impact is disproportionate, with government supports offsetting only part of the effect. The Irish Independent and TheJournal.ie both reflect the same core conclusion, linking rising energy costs to a heavier financial strain for poorer households.
TheJournal.ie adds further detail by noting that while government measures help, much of their benefit comes through broad-based tax reductions that apply across all households, rather than targeting need more precisely. As a result, households with the lowest incomes still experience a larger share of their income being affected by energy costs.
Across the accounts, the ESRI assessment focuses on distributional outcomes—how costs and supports vary by income level—rather than on overall energy prices alone. The report characterizes the supports as only partially effective in protecting the lowest-income groups from the effects of higher energy bills.
