The move by Electric Ireland, the retail arm of the ESB, to increase prices to consumers did not come as a surprise. Most other suppliers pushed up their prices last Autumn and Electric Ireland is effectively catching up. The increase in wholesale energy prices in the meantime forced its hand. A wider round of increases, as happened in 2022, is thus not inevitable, but trends in the wholesale gas market, in particular, are nonetheless of concern, given its importance in generating electricity in Ireland. The Gulf conflict and the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz have affected shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as well as oil. Damage to LNG infrastructure in the region is an additional issue. With an uncertain outcome to negotiations between the US and Iran, the likely extent of pressure on home energy bills is impossible to predict. Price hikes on the scale of those seen after the Russian invasion of Ukraine look unlikely. However, the latest rise is a warning sign for next winter and the hike in energy costs will put pressure on some households already struggling to make ends meet. In turn, this will sharpen the debate ahead of the October budget about what supports are needed. Recent advice from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) following a visit to Ireland – that supports should be temporary in nature and targeted at those who need them – make sense, up to a point. There is also a case to introduce permanent measures to help the least well-off households, given the numbers suffering from what is called energy poverty and the relatively high cost of fuel bills in Ireland. But what the Government must avoid is a return to the universal energy credits which give money to many households who do not need it, as well as some who do. Rather, the priority must be investment and better services. Part of the required investment is needed to underpin energy security, both in relation to supply and price. There are gaps in the Government strategy on the goals set, the transition that lies ahead and how the costs are met. They need to be credibly filled.