Talk of a proposed 10 to 20 per cent hike in electricity charges is "premature, speculative and unwarranted", Fine Gael said today.
Communications and natural resources spokesman Bernard Durkan called on the energy regulator to oppose the planned price hike in light of the number of other increases granted in recent years.
Bernard Durkan, Fine Gael
"Next years price rise will see consumers facing into another year of price increases, coming after a series of ESB increases in the last number of years - 3 per cent in January 2006, 4 per cent in January 2005, 8.6 per cent in October 2004 and 5 per cent in January 2004," he said.
"At the moment an average domestic ESB bill comes in at approximately €123 for every two months usage, if this price increase is allowed to go ahead, consumers will see their bills increase by up to €24."
"Neither the hard pressed domestic consumer or the manufacturing sector is in a position to meet such excessive price increases," he said.
"This is especially true when you consider that there have been very substantial price increases over the past 4 years, with electricity prices rising by 50 per cent for domestic customers since 2002.
"One international study showed that Irish domestic users are paying 46 per cent more than their UK counterparts.
"Indeed, another study by Accenture from the 2004/2005 period - before the current oil crisis - showed that Ireland had the highest priced electricity in the EU15. This confirms that Ireland has historically been a high energy price region."
Mr Durkan said the proposed increase would not only affect domestic electricity users but would feed through to increase business and manufacturing costs further and would drive jobs out of Ireland to cheaper economies.
Labour's energy spokesman Tommy Broughan congratulated ESB on "another excellent year" after it announced pre-tax profits today of €240 million, up 31 per cent on 2004.
But he urged the energy regulator, Tom Reeves, to take into account the financial burden imposed on families as a result of energy price increases and to reject the latest proposed increase.
"The government has been seriously remiss in bringing forward measures that would at least partly alleviate the harsh burden that is being imposed on energy users, while at the same time still demanding a multi-million annual dividend from the ESB," Mr Broughan said.
"The single electricity market between the Republic and North of Ireland was established with the aim of creating one all-island electricity framework and ensure cheaper power for consumers. Planning for the introduction of the integrated single electricity market has been long underway with a deadline for its introduction by July 1 2007.
"However, Minister Noel Dempsey has recently informed us that its introduction is now set to be delayed for at least one year, and key pieces of legislation to underpin the all-island electricity framework have still not been brought forward. The FF/PD government's record on diversifying our energy mix has also been appallingly poor."