Ms Aoife MacEvilly:

I will step in. I thank the committee for the offer to contribute to our strategic plan. We would genuinely welcome that. It is very important for us to hear members' voices.

On the energy consumption side, a core element of our smart metering programme is that this is a customer-led transition. It is around choice in bringing customers to, let us say for the sake of argument, time-of-use tariffs. Over time, particularly for customers who have EVs, it will be really important to move them to time-of-use tariffs because the ability to use smart charging would be a critical element of demand-side management and avoiding peak load. We also clearly recognise this is a choice and that certain customers, particularly those who are vulnerable, need to be protected in order that they have options.

In terms of the current situation, as members can imagine, meter-reading activities were halted for a period as a result of Covid-19 restrictions. This meant that many customers faced estimated bills at a time when, if they were home with their families, working, living and engaging in educational activities, their electricity consumption may have increased. We are aware, therefore, that many customers are receiving higher bills now catching up on that usage. We are working very closely with the industry and our customer stakeholder group.

One key message relates to the energy engage code. Customers who are engaging with their electricity suppliers will not be disconnected. That is the key point. If they are interested or willing to step into a payment plan in order that they have time to pay the cost over a period, that is absolutely encouraged. In fact, we monitor and report on the number of payment plans that are entered into over time in our biannual reports. We also offer prepay solutions for customers who are facing difficulty paying back. There are many options for customers. The critical thing is that they engage with their suppliers and find the option that works best for them.

The journey to decarbonised gas and the potential for green hydrogen is something that will be very interesting to watch, particularly, in the first instance, in the context of the new legislation that will be coming from the EU towards the end of this year. That legislation will identify, from the EU perspective, the role of hydrogen in decarbonising not just our gas network but also industry and a range of other energy sectors throughout the Union. That will help Ireland find its pathway. It is absolutely the case because Great Britain has a hydrogen strategy. We will be importing blue hydrogen for a period. We will learn a huge amount from that. That will be part of our safety activity in the context of the blending of gas quality and safety. We will then have the opportunity to learn from that as to how we might move over time to green hydrogen and the opportunity that presents. All that will be developed in the coming period.