ESB profits down by 10% due to impact of Storm Éowyn

By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association

The ESB Group saw a 10 per cent drop in profit after tax last year due to “unplanned costs” relating to Storm Éowyn, the Cabinet heard on Tuesday.

Storm Éowyn in January 2025 is recognised as one of the most dangerous and destructive storms in living memory in Ireland.

It brought gale-force/storm-force winds, including severely damaging and destructive gusts of over 184km/h, a record for Ireland.

The impacts of Storm Éowyn were particularly severe and prolonged in remote and rural communities across the western seaboard, the north-west and midlands of the country.

It saw a million customers of ESB and NIE without electricity supply across the island of Ireland, with a week long interruption to power and water supplies in parts.

ESB’s annual report was taken to Cabinet on Tuesday and a Government spokesman said it has reported a profit after tax of €636 million in 2025, compared to €706 million in 2024.

ESB had previously said it incurred additional operating costs of the order of an aggregate €100 million in reconnecting customers and remediating the damage to networks’ infrastructure following Storm Éowyn.