Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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142. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he is satisfied that all household energy consumers including people availing of prepay systems will benefit from the energy credits announced in Budget 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46422/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Budget package includes a new Electricity Cost Emergency Benefit Scheme through which €412.83 (exclusive of VAT) will be credited to each domestic electricity account in three payments of €137.61 (exclusive of VAT) in each of the following billing periods - December 2023, January/February 2024 and March/April 2024. The estimated cost of this scheme is €1.007 billion.

The payment will be applied to domestic electricity accounts, including those with Pay As You Go meters, which are subject to distribution use of system charges at the rate for urban domestic customers (DG1) or the rate for rural domestic customers (DG2).

Following implementation of the previous two schemes, my Department became aware of a cohort that did not receive payment under Schemes I & II. This relates to properties that receive electricity through a “submeter”. This situation occurs where an existing dwelling has been divided for the purposes of accommodating additional people and provides an independent meter for this accommodation. Examples of this situation would include a secondary suite, or house being modified to contain further distinct units than for which it was initially purposed.

The Submeter Support Scheme is being introduced to ensure that €412.83 (exclusive of VAT) is credited to each such account, in three payments of €137.61 (exclusive of VAT) in each of the following billing periods - December 2023, January/February 2024 and March/April 2024.

Complementary measures to support traveller households on Local Authority sites will also be established and officials in my Department will engage with officials in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) in relation to this measure.