Electricity hike will put extra burden on elderly

The so-called green tax will see the price of electricity rise by five per cent from October this year and older people who are already vulnerable in the Winter months may be pushed to the limit, said Westmeath Community Development worker Patricia McKenna.“We run an older people’s forum and we know that this a major issue and that last winter people had to depend on handouts from St Vincent de Paul because they simply could not keep up with the cost of having the heat on all the time,” she said.“Already they are saying that they have had to light the fire when they wouldn’t usually in August and they really don’t need extra costs. I know that last winter some older people were going to bed at 6pm because it was they only way that they could keep warm.“Any increases in electricity may seem small to people who are working but they could represent make or break for somebody living on a pension. “Rises in the cost of living like this are very depressing for old people. I know that people who are unemployed are finding it very tough but at least in that situation there is always the hope of getting a job but for older people there is no hope of an increase in income unless they are given it by the government.“At the minute families are returning the way we used to be and I know of some older people who have taken there children and grandchildren back in because of unemployment and there is extra stress involved with that too.“The main things that I see people struggling with are food and heat and if any more costs are added which of the basics will have to be sacrificed this time? If the price of electricity is increased then pension payments should be brought up as well.”Secretary of the BCDL club, one of the largest active retirement clubs in the county, Dermot Garvan said that most of the older people he knew were “just making it”.“They have already had their Christmas bonuses taken away and a lot of them are already being buoyed by their children and even their grandchildren but of course people are proud and don’t want to be seen taking handouts.Any increase in their living costs is bound to cause extra stress.”This week Brendan Smith Minister for Agriculture defended the government’s decision to increase the price of electricity and said that it was due to a “public service obligation levy” because the purpose of the charge was to improve the country’s security of energy supply and to develop renewable energy. He also said that prices had dropped to the EU average in the last 12 months.