Irish families are set to face a dramatic increase in their energy bills today even as the country slips into a deep recession and hundreds of thousands have been left unemployed due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
A carbon tax introduced in last October’s budget in a bid to stop Global Warming will see the government levy on every tonne of carbon dioxide emitted raised from €6 to €26.
For perspective, the comparison website Bonkers.ie estimates that this will lead to the average family having to shell out an extra €60 for their gas bill.
RTE reported that Daragh Cassidy, the Head of Communications at bonkers.ie, said in relation to the new tax:
“With all that’s going on right now due to Covid-19 and with hundreds of thousands of people having been laid off, this government tax increase couldn’t have come at a worse time.”
The new tax will add €2.73 to a 40kg bag of coal, 59 cent to a bale of briquettes and €65 to every fill of a 900 litre home heating oil tank according to Bonkers.ie.
This comes shortly after the world witnessed a historic low in oil prices that could have meant a significant saving for hard hit Irish families, but this new tax will eradicate any hope left among Irish people of reduced energy costs.
It is also feared that with the strong possibility of a Fianna Fail-Fine Gael coalition including the Green Party to form a government there will be more bonkers proposals to tax the Irish people and implement Draconian measures to stop the Earth from heating up.
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