Coal merchants warn of tax hike
The price of a bag of coal has gone up by €1.20 in the last year – and is due to rise by the same amount again on May 1.
Similarly, the 26c carbon tax on every bale of briquettes is to double, meaning from May 1, the carbon tax will total 52c per bale.
A Mullingar fuel merchant firm is urging its customers to sign a national online petition in protest at the hikes, which represent phase 2 of the introduction of carbon tax.
“It will affect everybody, but the people who are really struggling are the people who don’t have oil and don’t have gas, and who are relying on briquettes and coal,” says Patrick Whelan, of Whelan Fuels in Grove Street.
Nationally, the Solid Fuel Trade Group has launched a petition, which they hope the public will sign, asking the minister for finance to postpone the doubling of the tax.
“These taxes hit the poorest in our society hardest, because they depend most on solid fuel for winter warmth,” states the Solid Fuel Trade Group, adding that over 20% of Irish households are officially suffering fuel poverty.
“For anyone who uses three bags of coal a week – which wouldn’t be unusual – the cost already rose by €3.60 per week last year,” says Patrick.
“Now, they’ll be facing a further €3.60 hike, which will mean they’re paying €7.20 a week more than just over a year ago.”
Customers have told him they’re finding it hard to keep their homes warm anyway – and he warns that if the weather were to become very bad, they would struggle to an even greater extent.
“We have people that have been coming to Whelan’s for 40 or 50 years, and they don’t light a fire till evening now: they can’t light it any earlier.
“It’s a big expense,” he said.
Customers can sign the petition at Whelan’s, and they will be returning it to the Solid Fuel Trade Group for inclusion with forms from solid fuel customers in other parts of the country.
Online, via the Solid Fuel Trade Group, at sftg.ie/newspage.html, there’s a link to the petition.
Alternatively, they can log on to www.gopetition.com/petitions/postpone-the-introduction-of-carbon-tax-phase-iion-solid-fuel.html.