WEALTH May 13, 2026 0 Comments

Why Rising Energy Bills Are Forcing AIB Customers to Slash Spending—And What It Means for Your Wallet Right Now

Ever wonder how geopolitical tensions halfway across the world can ripple through your everyday spending habits? This April, card spending among AIB customers jumped 7% compared to last year — a clear sign that higher energy costs, driven largely by unrest in the Middle East, are not just headlines on the news but real pressures felt by families and businesses alike here in Ireland. Fuel station spend surged by 12%, with counties like Monaghan and Roscommon feeling the pinch hardest, while electric vehicle charging saw a mind-blowing 72% increase over the past year. But here’s the kicker: while consumers are tightening belts in areas like air travel, utilities and even groceries, they’re still splurging on things like event tickets and cinema outings — a fascinating mix of caution and craving normalcy. It makes you ask yourself, in a world swirling with uncertainty and rising costs, how are we really adapting our spending, and what does it say about our priorities? Let’s unpack these surprising patterns and what they mean for our economy and your financial strategy moving forward. LEARN MORE

Card spending by AIB customers rose 7% year-on-year in April, with higher energy costs linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East continuing to shape consumer behaviour across Ireland.

New figures from the bank’s latest Spend Trend report show spending at service stations increased by 12% compared with April 2025, reflecting the pressure of rising fuel prices on households and businesses.

County Monaghan recorded the largest annual increase in spending at service stations, up 23%, followed closely by Roscommon at 22%. Clare saw the smallest increase, where spending rose by 3%, while Limerick recorded a 7% increase.

The data also highlighted continued growth in electric vehicle-related spending, with EV charging expenditure up 72% over the past 12 months and 9% higher than the previous month.

Fuel protests during April also appeared to affect driving patterns.

On Friday April 10, the number of road toll payments made by AIB customers fell to approximately 16,600, the lowest daily figure recorded so far this year and 37% below the April daily average.

Consumers also appeared to cut back in other areas amid rising living costs.

Airline spending declined by 8% compared with April last year, while spending on utilities, excluding telecommunications, climbed 9%.

Grocery spending rose by a more modest 2% over the same period.

The report, which analysed 77 million card transactions carried out by AIB customers online and in-store during April, suggests consumers are continuing to prioritise essential spending as energy-related costs rise.

Despite broader cost pressures, some sectors saw sharp spikes in activity during the month.

Spending on event tickets surged on Friday April 24 when Ryder Cup 2027 tickets went on sale to residents across the island of Ireland.

Transaction levels that day were more than seven times higher than the average daily event ticket spend during the rest of the month.

Easter Sunday proved to be the quietest spending day of 2026 so far, with overall card spend 44% below the year-to-date daily average, continuing a trend that typically sees Easter Sunday rank among the slowest retail days of the year after Christmas Day.

Cinemas, however, enjoyed their strongest weekend of the year over Easter, boosted by the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on Good Friday.

Peak cinema spending was recorded on Saturday April 4, although overall monthly cinema spend was up only 1% year-on-year.

Adrian Moynihan, Head of Consumer at AIB, said the figures reflected the impact of rising energy prices on Irish consumers.

AIB customers — EV charging expenditure up 72% over the past 12 months

“April’s data shows a 7% increase in spending and once again we saw consumer activity influenced by key events, in this case the rising energy costs,” he said.

“The broader picture points to steady year-on-year spending growth, alongside continued increases in everyday costs like motoring and utilities, as energy prices rise.”