Paul Deane

UCC

Dr Paul Deane is Senior Lecturer in Clean Energy Futures at MaREI and the Environmental Research Institute (ERI) at UCC

The current blast of cold weather has a strong influence on how much we pay for gas and electricity

These changes go well beyond pollution reduction and would simply make Ireland a much better place to live

Price is one element of energy supply we have to deal with, but physical access to gas and the security of that supply matters too.

The impact of excise on fuel prices will have to be considered by Government ahead of another winter of high heating and electricity bills

Wholesale electricity prices have been falling since January 2023 so when can we expect to see lower household bills?

For bills to start coming down rather than going up, we need stability in the market and this depends on three conditions

You can expect a simple system of six to eight solar panels to generate about one third of your home's electricity needs

While global oil prices have dropped, a worldwide shortage of refinery capacity means prices at the pumps haven't fallen accordingly

Reducing energy use is the most immediate measure we can do to reduce our exposure to high energy bills

As the energy crisis has exposed the State's dependence on imported oil and gas, action must be taken on other options