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Electric Ireland powers on; workplace surveillance; and Pilita on sloppy rebranding

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Electric Ireland fared best in June as consumers switched supplier sin search of lower energy costs. Photograph: Bryan O Brien Keywords : fuel cost of living energy gas electricity hikes energy power power cut savings tax budget carbon bricket briquette esb Born Gais cooker cooking dinner meal pan pot domestic inflation hike cost costs

Dominic Coyle's face
Dominic Coyle
Mon Oct 24 2022 - 06:26

ESB’s Electric Ireland is faring best in attracting customers as an average of 36,000 consumers a month changed suppliers in search of more competitive energy prices in the first half of the year, writes Barry O’Halloran. Data from the regulator show Electric Ireland doing much better on customer recruitment than their rivals in June — the last month for which data is available — with two of the big four suppliers being net losers that month.

Workplace deaths fell to a historic low last year, according to new figures from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). But the number of older workers — those aged 65 or over — suffering fatal accidents is still rising and the traditionally most dangerous sectors (construction and agriculture, fisheries and forestry) are again to the fore. Brian Hutton has the details.

Forestry businesses say tree planting this year will amount to just a quarter of the Government’s target as an Oireachtas committee report calls for reform of the licensing process to help provide more timber of Irish homes. Barry O’Halloran reports.

Diversity and inclusion, the need for care in placing of online advertising and the positive role the sector can have in encouraging more sustainable consumer habits were all on the agenda as the World Federation of Advertisers convened a meeting in Dublin at the weekend of 18 national advertising industry councils. Laura Slattery spoke to federation chief executive Stephan Loerke.

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On climate change, ahead of COP27 in Egypt, David Pilling says trying to force Africa — which has historically emitted so little carbon because it has missed out on the wealth that burning fossil fuels has bestowed on other regions — to stick to current emission levels is asking the Continent to stay poor forever. It’s totally unreasonable and simply will not happen.

In World of Work, Pilita Clark has had enough of corporate rebrands that simply drop vowels in an effort to seem more “edgy” and “hip”. Bring back those missing “e”s, she says.

Finally, Harold Clarke, an institution on the Dublin business scene in a 55-year career at bookseller Eason, has died at the age of 89.

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