Cap utility costs for three years - Kelly

A Wexford Borough Councillor is calling on the government to introduce a three year utility costs cap in Budget 2013.  Cllr Anthony Kelly said the government could alleviate rising fuel poverty by putting state assets like ESB and Bord Gáis to strategic use through the introduction of a three year cap on price increases.

Cllr Kelly said;

"Half the population will be living in fuel poverty in the next five years unless steps are taken to tackle the problem now.  Fuel poverty is defined as a household spending more than 10% of its disposable income on heating.  Unfortunately we have seen a massive rise in this in recent years and  it is often the forgotten statistic of this recession."

"Sinn Féin is proposing that the strategically use its state assets like ESB and Bord Gáis to counter rising fuel poverty.  It would make far more sense for the state to put these companies to use for the public interest by imposing a cap on any price hikes for three years  instead of selling them off."

"Fuel poverty is a real threat to families across this state.  If action is not taken to combat this threat the level of people living in fuel poverty ten years from now could be as high as 75% of householders according to recent data from the Energy Action Conference 2012."