Grocer hit with €14k bill wants support extended

A GROCER hit with consecutive electricity bills totalling €35,000 last year has been stunned with another €14,000 demand.

Gala shop owner Flora Crowe of Sixmilebridge in Clare told the Irish Mirror that State support for small businesses must continue past this month.

Her two-month electricity bills last year averaged around €6,500, but jumped to €15,782.23 in September, then €20,803.41 in November, and now over €14,000.

Mum-of-three Flora, 34, who employs up to 22 people, said the charges are the “biggest electricity bills I have ever seen in my life”. New business support measures were announced in Budget 2023, including the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme.

It is to help small businesses like Flora’s with the scheme covering as much as 40% of the increase in energy bills, up to €10,000 per month until February.

Flora said: “My new bill was €14,181.04. I got €5,500 back from the energy scheme to date. However, there is a very low uptake on the scheme on the ground.

“The process is complex with only 1,500 businesses in wholesale and retail taking up the scheme to date.

“Most retailers seem to not have access to their ROS account and have to send the data in to their accountants – but on the ground it seems people aren’t doing it. We had until [yesterday] to claim for September. I think the Dept of Enterprise is unlikely to extend it beyond February due to the low numbers.

“I have been trying to rally other retailers to apply but they are finding it too complex.”

Flora claimed that the TBESS application process is so unwieldy that some shop owners are daunted from applying for the Statefunded financial help.

The scheme is open to businesses which have experienced a 50% or more hike in their average energy unit price since 2021. Claims must be made within four months of the end of the billing period.

Under the TBESS terms, businesses had until yesterday to claim for September.

But Revenue has announced that TBESS claims for last September can be made after the deadline.

A spokesperson said: “Revenue is allowing businesses additional time to submit their claims.

“Businesses which have registered for TBESS, and which are eligible, are encouraged to access the claims portal.

“This is via the erepayments system on Revenue’s Online Service.”

There is very low uptake on the scheme on ground FLORA CROWE YESTERDAY