‘Nobody should have to pay this’ – South Dublin family says electricity bills reached €900 in new council home
A man living in a social housing development in Dublin has said his family has been left struggling with electricity bills of up to €900 for a two-month period.
Mr Marcin Rybicki (48), who is originally from Poland and has lived in Ireland for 19 years, said he spent 15 years on the South Dublin County Council housing waiting list before moving into a three-bedroom duplex at Kilcarbery Grange.
“After waiting so long for a house, you think your life is finally going to get better,” he said. “But the electricity bills we’ve been paying have completely changed our lives.”
The family’s first electricity bill after moving into the property in 2023 was around €300 for two months. However, during the following winter, the bill rose to €900.
“When I first saw the bill, I thought it had to be a mistake. I even wondered if someone was tapping into our electricity. Nobody should have to pay €900 for electricity over two months.”
According to the Central Statistics Office, the median annual residential electricity bill in Ireland was €880 in 2023.
Mr Rybicki, who works as a food truck driver, lives with his wife and teenage son. His wife, a former teacher, has been unable to return to work because of a disability, leaving the family dependent on a single income.
“I leave for work at 4am and don’t get home until around 5pm every day,” he said.
“All I do is try to buy what we need, never what we want. We don’t eat out and we don’t go on holidays. I’m doing everything I can.”
He said the financial pressure had taken an emotional toll.
“When you work long hours, you just want to come home, spend time with your family and rest. But every time I open my email, I’m afraid to see how much the next electricity bill will be.”
The heating system in the Rybicki home
Mr Rybicki claims the 3kW air-to-water heat pump installed in the property is “too small” for the home and says this has contributed to the high electricity bills.
According to him, at least 11 other families in the development have raised similar concerns about their heating systems.
“The pump is too weak, requiring the water heater to turn on to heat the water, which automatically increases electricity consumption,” Mr Rybicki said.
Some residents, he added, had resorted to switching off their heat pumps during winter in an effort to reduce electricity costs.
South Dublin County Council said it was looking into the concerns.
“We are currently investigating this matter and have instructed our mechanical contractors to review the concerns raised regarding the operation of the heating systems, including the issues reported by two tenants in the Kilcarbery development,” a spokesperson said.
“As part of this process, we will engage with the relevant parties where necessary and assess whether any further technical investigations or remedial works are required.”
The council did not comment on whether any faults had been identified.
Even during the recent warmer months, Mr Rybicki said his family had continued to face unusually high electricity costs.
“Even this summer, when the weather has been warm, we’ve still paid around €400 for two months,” he said. “I’m spending money that I work so hard to earn on something that doesn’t seem to be working properly.
“You wait 15 years for a council house because you think it’s finally going to make life easier,” he said.
“Instead, every time the electricity bill comes in, I’m worried about how we’re going to pay it.”