Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister for attending the House personally and I know he has made a significant effort to be here.

It has been decided that bills of under two units per day, which I understand from the ESB is equivalent to having a fridge freezer on all the time, or using a cooking plate for 20 minutes, or having four 60W bulbs on for three hours, will be charged at a higher standing charge. This is focused at vacant dwellings and holiday homes that are vacant for most of the year. At first glance, one might say "Fair enough, if you can afford to have a vacant home", but there are many reasons why houses are vacant and why somebody may wish to leave a fridge freezer on. People may have had to go away to get work, for example.

It is not as if there was not an alternative to what is being proposed. I understand the ESB is stating that the saving would be €8.5 million for 170,000 customers. It is hard to see how that saving would be made, but it is what the ESB states. That means there is a saving of €50 per customer per annum. In some case, however, that can rise to an extra charge of €150 per customer. What justification did the ESB give for this? It said it is more expensive to read meters, in addition to which the company must send out bills and administer customer services. It seems rather strange, however, that there would be customers services for vacant houses.

I hope the Minister will take up this matter with the ESB and tell the company that if houses are vacant for large parts of the year, customers could perhaps agree to be billed once or twice a year. In that way savings could be made with fewer meter readings and bills, and all the other excuses the ESB is using for this charge. What is the point in sending out a bill for less than two units a day?

The Minister should tell the ESB that there is another way of solving this problem, which is very simple. People with properties lying vacant for extended periods should notify the ESB so that the meter will not be read and they will not get a bi-monthly bill.

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