A shopkeeper hit with a €13,000 electricity bill said he is already worrying about how he will pay the next bill.
Gary Martin, the owner of Egmont Stores in Churchtown, Co Cork, said the shop's electricity costs have almost tripled in two years despite installing solar panels.
He said: "It would have been about €5,000 for 2 months.
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"It (solar panels) has taken an edge off it but not enough.
"I'm waiting on ESB to come back to me to put more panels on.
"I'm trying to protect myself against future increases but it's tough.
"This will take up a lot of profits we've made over the last 12 months.
"We know in eight weeks' time there is another one. Where will that money come from?".
Gary said it's not possible to reduce electricity use in convenience stores.
Speaking to Patricia Messinger on C103's Cork Today Show, he said: "In a shop, it's hard because fridges and freezers have to run 24/7.
"There are some fridges we can turn off and move stock around.
"But it's very hard for a shop to shut down 100% and not use electricity when we're not open.
"We employ 10 staff in the store. It's the only shop in the village."
Gary also said he doesn't want to have to increase prices for his customers.
He said: "Since Covid and the war, we've seen increases in products and we have been adding on to compensate that. There's only so much we can do.
"We can't add 50% on to a bottle of ketchup. We're trying to drag back in those couple of cents on every product and spread it across.
"I don't want to charge someone above and beyond because people have bills to pay.
"They're in the same position as me. Just they're at home and I have a business.
"I want to make a few bob and they want to save a few bob. It's businesses like mine that keep rural Ireland ticking over."
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