Mervyn Taylor
Ceist:56 Mr. Taylor asked the Minister for Energy if he will outline the way in which the level of prices for electricity and fuel have changed in real terms since 1987; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Price Movements.
The following data supplied by the Central Statistics Office set out two subindices of the Consumer Price Index illustrating annual price movements in the areas referred to by the Deputy in the years 1987 to 1991.
|
Electricity |
Energy Products excluding electricity* |
Consumer Price Index (all items) |
|
|
(Base: Mid-November 1982 = 100) |
|||
|
1987 |
112.9 |
112.8 |
130.7 |
|
1988 |
112.9 |
111.9 |
133.5 |
|
1989 |
112.9 |
117.8 |
138.9 |
|
1990 |
112.8 |
121.6 |
143.6 |
|
1991 |
114.6 |
123.3 |
148.1 |
*The series for energy products excluding electricity covers the following items: coal and anthracite, turf and briquettes, bottled gas, piped gas, central heating oil, motor fuel, motor oil and firelighters.
The Deputy will note that there was an increase in the index series for the energy products category and a lesser increase in the electricity series over the period. However, since both increases were less than the inflation rate over the same period as measured by the overall consumer price index, it can be concluded that there was a decrease, in real terms, in prices in both categories; a decrease of 10.4 per cent for electricity and of 3.5 per cent for other fuels.