23, and trying to clear off debts and wipe the slate clean.

That's ok then.
Re the gas and the electricity, regardless of which runs which, the amounts are scandalous. I know you probably don't want to rock the boat, but I would refuse to pay those prices.
 
Its the gas bills that are scandalous. Thats because one person is running the heating all day. Nice that someone can choose to work from home and make the other 3 housemates pay for his heating costs?
I dont understand why you would let this go on.
 
I can't believe how high your gas and esb bills are....I have never had gas so can't really comment but live in a fairly large house with my husband and 3 kids, got our esb bill last week for 2 months it was 297....very high but it included christmas and as i had 12 for christmas dinner and oven was on fro 10 hours christmas eve and chritmas day i understand why....yours is crazy! I wonder where your landlord lives....could it be next door are you paying her gas and esb as well....this happened in my estate when houses were first built, one neighbour was somehow tied to the other and ended up with huge bills it was sorted but could this be happening to you?
 
you mentioned ongoing medical bills have you sent in your med1 to revenue yet? could be worth a bit to you.
i think the rest of you are mad to be agreeing to split equally the gas bills for someone that has no transport expenses - if they are self-employed they may be able to claim back some of their bills - and sits at home all day, it's very unfair.
 
If one person is working at home with the heating on, is the entire house being heated? You only need to heat the part of the house that is occupied, presumably one or two rooms. Depending on how your heating is controlled this may require some effort -- but at worst it means going around turning off radiators each morning and back on in the evening when the house is occupied. You may be able to save a large portion of your heating bill this way.
 
But still, it is unfair that the other house mates should have to stump up for gas, that is being used for the times when they are out of the house. I wouldn't keep the gas on all day to keep myself warm and then expect the others to pay for it, that's just wrong.

Can your work from home friend not put on some extra jumpers, hoodie etc. to keep warm? Or at the very, very least turn the temperature on your heating down a few degrees to try save some money. I would have thought between say 15-18C would be a sufficient temperature.
 
True, it's still unfair, but if they at least only heat the room they're in as opposed to the whole Irish troposphere it would be a little less unfair.