{
  "id": 138434,
  "title": "Highest ever number in arrears on electricity bills",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/highest-ever-number-in-arrears-on-electricity-bills",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-04T17:13:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTE News",
    "slug": "rte-news",
    "url": "https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2026/0804/1586471-electricity-bills-arrears/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In April, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) reported that the number of households in arrears on their electricity bills had reached an all-time high, with 322,298 customers behind on their payments. This represents 14% of all domestic electricity customers. Of those households in arrears, 186,380 had been more than three months overdue. The CRU had been tracking customer arrears since 2016, and at the end of that year, 271,173 households were in arrears, accounting for around 13% of the total. The most recent figures show a slight increase from the previous month, with 318,735 customers in arrears. In addition to the electricity sector, the number of domestic gas customers in arrears also continued to rise, reaching 185,940 households in April. Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan criticized the government's response to the growing arrears issue, stating that it is the worst situation since before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She highlighted that the government's recent actions, such as the creation of a taskforce and the cancellation of energy credits, have not alleviated the problem. In fact, the number of households behind on bills has increased by nearly 24,000 since the taskforce was announced in June last year. Boylan also pointed out that the government received EU approval for a €300 million subsidy for big businesses, which is equivalent to providing every household with an energy credit of €125. She expressed outrage over the government's decision to fund grid upgrades, with households facing a €41 increase in costs, while data centers received a €150,000 discount. Boylan argued that it is scandalous that the government continues to support data centers, which are driving electricity prices to the highest levels in Europe and contributing to the high number of households struggling with bill payments.",
  "summary": "The number of households in arrears on their electricity bills rose to the highest level on record in April, according to latest figures from the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.",
  "key_points": [
    "322,298 households in arrears, 14% of domestic electricity customers",
    "186,380 households overdue more than three months",
    "Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan criticizes government's response"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}