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"My latest bill came into me last Thursday and I actually cried when I saw it."

That's how Roscommon supermarket owner and employer of 35 people, Annie Timothy, reacted when she saw her September bill from Electric Ireland.

The amount? €20,882.59 for one month. Due on 17 September by direct debit.

"I just sat and I cried. We knew power was going up. We did all the right things, but there is no way a business like mine can sustain that kind of thing going forward," Annie told RTÉ News.

The monthly electricity bills to run the shop on the edge of Roscommon town have been skyrocketing since last January.

Back then the bill was €6,600.

"It's absolutely terrifying at this point in time. As a person I am positive. I always look on the bright side of things. This time I am very, very concerned. There is absolutely no way I can generate the extra turnover to make that money back."

Annie says she and the other retailers she has spoken to, all of whom are in similar situations, now need help from the Government.

"I've never looked for anything. I've never asked for anything. We were lucky enough we could sustain ourselves even in the bad times, we clawed it, we scraped it and were not in the business of going with a begging bowl.

"But now we need help and we need it now, not in three months time, not in six months time. We need help now."

The situation is the same for small shops right across the country according to the CEO of the Convenience Store and Newsagents Association.

"It's frightening because its only just starting and it's getting worse," Vincent Jennings said.

"We have situations where many of our members have reduced (energy consumption) by 10, 12 or 15%, but the costs have still gone up.

"We have figures for 220, 240 or 300% extra in costs. It's not sustainable and these are viable businesses ... that's the most important thing and nothing is getting in their way other than energy costs."

Mr Jennings said assistance must be given, otherwise stores will have no choice but to close.

"I'm not talking about loans ... what we need is genuine assistance both from the EU and the State. Businesses can't sustain an extra €60,000 or €120,000 in the year. They don't have the reserves for it."

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Leo Varadkar has promised that the Government will intervene to help businesses with energy costs, help that will be revealed on Budget day in two weeks' time.

For Annie Timothy and other small business owners, it is going to be an anxious wait.

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'I just sat and cried': Retailer faces €20k energy bill

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"My latest bill came into me last Thursday and I actually cried when I saw it." That's how Roscommon supermarket owner and employer of 35 people, Annie Timothy, reacted when she saw her September bill from Electric Ireland. The amount? €20,882.59 for one month. Due on 17 September by direct debit.

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At a glance: Here are the key points from Budget 2023

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The Government has pledged to spend billions - but how much of all this extra monetary support will make it into your pocket?

With winter looming amid an unprecedented cost of living crisis, now is the time for people to plan their own family budgets for the months and year ahead.

Here are some of the key announcements in Budget 2023 and how they will affect you.
Cost of living supports
A double Child Benefit payment (worth €140 per child) will be paid in November.

A once-off double week "Cost of Living Support" payment to all social welfare recipients in October - the normal Christmas Bonus will also be paid in early December.

Extra €500 for Working Family Payment and Carer Support Grant recipients in November.

Once-off payment before Christmas of €200 to recipients of the Living Alone Allowance and €500 to those on Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension and the Blind Pension.

An extra €12 a week was promised for social welfare recipients

Social protection (changes for 2023)
€12 per week increase for every social welfare recipient, including pensioners.

Weekly Fuel Allowance means limit for over 70s extended to €500 for single people, €1,000 for couples.
Tax changes
Entry point for paying higher 40% income tax rate is increased (by €3,200) to €40,000 a year while main tax credits rise by €75.

Home Carer Tax Credit increases by €100, to support stay at home parents.

Second USC rate band (2% rate) will rise from €21,295 to €22,920.

What does this mean for me? A single person with no children earning €45,000 will be €831 better off a year while a single person on Minimum Wage will gain €1,225 a year. A married couple with two children and one income of €35,000 should be €1,028 better off while a married couple with two children and two incomes (earning around €85,000 between them) will have €1,660 more a year in their pockets.
Energy assistance
€600 in electricity credits for all households to be paid in three instalments of €200.

Fuel allowance payment recipients to receive an extra lump sum of €400 before Christmas.
Housing/rent Help-to-Buy scheme will continue, at current rates, until the end of 2024.
Taxpayers who rent will receive a new rent tax credit valued at €500 per year from 2023 - it can also be claimed in respect of rent paid in 2022.

A new Vacant Homes Tax is being introduced for residential properties which are occupied for less than 30 days in a 12 month period.
Childcare
Funding to support a reduction of up to 25% in the weekly fee for those using the National Childcare Scheme - this should result in up to €175 a month savings for parents in 2023.
Healthcare
All inpatient hospital charges will be abolished.

Free GP care extended to more than 400,000 people. This pledge includes, by the end of 2022, all children aged six and seven.

Expanding free contraception from women aged 17 to 25 to all those aged 16 to 30 years.

Providing financial support for access to IVF treatment.
Education
Reduction of pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools to a historic low of 23:1

Free primary school books for all children from autumn 2023

Additional 686 Special Educational Needs teachers and 1,194 Special Needs Assistants

€100 million to help schools deal with rising energy costs in 2022

School Meals Programme extended to an additional 310 schools

Primary school books will be cost-free for the first time

Third level
All third level students will see a once-off reduction of €1,000 in their college fees this year.

All SUSI maintenance grants will be increased by between 10% and 14% in September 2023 with a once-off double monthly payment before Christmas.
Private and public transport
Excise cuts for petrol, diesel and marked gas oil extended until 28 February, 2023.

Carbon tax increases on petrol and diesel from 12 October (adding 2c per litre to petrol and diesel) will be offset with a reduction (from 2% per litre to zero) of the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) levy.

20% public transport fare reduction and the Youth Travel Card discount of 50% to end of 2023.

Excise reduction on fuel has been extended

Business supports
Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme - once eligibility criteria are met - will cover 40% of an organisation's energy bill increases subject to a monthly cap of €10,000.

Non-cash benefits or rewards to workers (without the payment of income tax, PRSI and USC) increased by €500 to €1,000 and can be used in the current tax year.

50% excise relief to independent small producers of cider and pear cider ('perry').
Agriculture
Five agricultural tax reliefs, due to expire this year, will be extended.

A new scheme to help provide financial support for modernising slurry storage facilities.

Farmers can apply for the new Business Energy Support Scheme
Tobacco
Excise duty on a pack of 20 cigarettes rises by 50c, with a pro-rata increase on other tobacco products.

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At a glance: Here are the key points from Budget 2023

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The Government has pledged to spend billions - but how much of all this extra monetary support will make it into your pocket?

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Hi,

I spotted this article on The Journal:

Analysis: Why news headlines about Irish GDP are still irritatingly misleading

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Readers like you keep news free for everyone.

More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.

For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Analysis: Why news headlines about Irish GDP are still irritatingly misleading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Readers like you keep news free for everyone. More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal. For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.

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https://studyclixsaielive.blob.core.windows.net/cms/media/wftjb15j/business-cba-1-done-1.pdf

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Information below is taken from and adapted in places from various supporting documents form the NCCA and resource form the JCT business studies website