Households being taken for a ride by energy firms

Sinn Fein TD claims Government has failed in duty to protect consumers

- FERGHAL BLANEY

THE energy regulator has been slammed for its "shockingly light touch" and doing little to protect consumers from soaring prices.

Ireland has among the highest energy costs in Europe and the Government has been accused of being "asleep at the wheel" ahead of what could be another winter of crippling costs.

The criticism from Sinn Fein's Darren O'Rourke comes after the Irish Mirror saw his research which shows regulators in other EU countries intervene to rein in suppliers.

But the TD said that in Ireland, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities does very little by comparison.

Mr O'Rourke added: "The research exposes a shockingly light-touch regulatory system, which has seen households taken for a ride by energy firms.

"The Government is asleep at the wheel.