Ms Karen Trant:

We work closely with NGOs, for example, the Money Advice & Budgeting Service, MABS, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, to understand those who are at risk. In the main, they are probably struggling financially in other areas. Do they need help beyond the energy piece? We ensure that there are other agencies involved to interact with them.

We will continue to monitor disconnections. We would not want to see an increase in numbers. However, suppliers view disconnection as a tool for prompting people to engage. We will continue to monitor the situation to see exactly who is being disconnected and why.