Madness: Energy Bills Rise €30 To Pay For EU Green Energy Targets

via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF)
http://www.thegwpf.com

Electricity bills [in Ireland] are set to rise by more than €30 a year from October to pay for meeting EU targets on renewable energy.

The Commission for Energy Regulation confirmed that it had approved a €104 million increase in the public service obligation (PSO) levy to €496.5 million. This will mean that domestic customers will pay an extra €32.28 each year after VAT. The revenue is passed on to energy suppliers.

The PSO levy of €112.64 is included in bills to pay for switching to sustainable and renewable energy sources, which are more expensive that fossil fuels. To meet EU targets and avoid large fines, 40 per cent of the country’s electricity must come from renewable sources by 2020. About 25 per cent of Ireland’s electricity was generated from renewable sources last year.

Dermott Jewell, a policy advisor for the Consumers’ Association of Ireland, said that the increase would not win customers over to renewable energy. “It only serves to alienate them from a move towards more renewable energy sources,” Mr Jewell said.