Most believe politicians have little or no understanding of stress caused by energy bills, says survey
More than four out of five Irish consumers believe politicians have “very little” or “no” understanding of stress caused by high energy costs.
The One Big Switch online survey of 7,000 Irish consumers who joined the Big Energy Switch campaign found that 83% of respondents were critical of politicians.
The survey data, released for the first time today, also found that one in three respondents wanted their bills to be easier to understand, outlining exit fees and charges.
Speaking about the findings, OneBigSwitch.ie co-founder, Oliver Tattan said: "The survey makes it crystal clear that consumers think politicians just don't get it when it comes to the pain caused by high energy prices.
Full price deregulation (24%), differential pricing (19%) and smart meters (16%) were among the toerh options favoured by respondents.
"This is a big vulnerability for all political parties and also a big opportunity for those politicians willing to do the work to feel the pain caused by high energy bills.
"Luckily for politicians who want to act on energy prices the survey makes it clear that the reform most desired by Irish consumers is actually the simplest one to implement, a requirement for energy companies to provide simple bills with discounts and exit fees highlighted.
"This type of reform has been implemented around the world, and is very doable here in Ireland."
Registration for the latest Big Energy Switch closes at midnight on April 17.
