A well-known south Dublin brewery is facing an unknown future as their energy bills continue to jump amid the cost of living crisis.
Rascals brewery in Inchicore is a popular local craft brewery that also acts as a pizza restaurant, bar, and off-licence. The brewery's owner, Cathal O'Donoghue, has major concerns as energy bills continue to soar as high as €5,000 a month.
He told Newstalk that he is “trying to keep going and keep positive” despite his concerns as energy prices continue to rise. Cathal said: “We have a good team working with us, we’re making good products, we do have good customers that come in here to our own premises."
Read more: How to bleed your radiators - this quick job will save you money this winter
At the moment, Cathal said that he is most concerned about his rising gas price. He explained: "We went to our supplies last week and they increased our gas price from 2.8 cents per kilowatt to 20 cents - which is a 900% increase."
According to Cathal, this will increase their monthly bill from €700 up to €5,000. He said: "It’s massive, it’s unsustainable. And I know it’s the same for other breweries around the country and other small businesses. It’s a scary time, to be honest.”
Cathal added that due to the rise in energy prices, he has taken to closely monitoring the electricity metre on the premises of the brewery as he looks for ways to cut down on costs to save his business. He said: "I look at the electricity metre every time I turn something on.
"What can we do? Can we reduce it down? So I’m just trying to save energy at the moment.”
Read Next:
- Dublin cafe owner 'terrified' as electricity bills are now 'double the rent'
- Dublin dad having to work overtime due to cost of living misses spending time with kids
- The surprising items that are forcing costs to 'shoot up' for local bakery
Irish mum's €5 family meals go viral - I tried one of her recipes to see if it actually works
Appliance expert reveals common washing machine mistake that is costing you money
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox
