Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The pay-as-you-go meters have been a considerable success. Under the protocol we have put in place, there can be no disconnections where a pay-as-you-go meter has been installed or a payment plan entered into by the householder. This has worked exceptionally well. My Department is in discussions with the Department of Social Protection on the issue of house occupants resorting to the exceptional needs payment to pay energy bills being required to have a pay-as-you-go meter installed. The installation of pay-as-you-go meters has undoubtedly been a success.

On price controls, it is welcome that neither the ESB nor Bord Gáis increased its prices in this calendar year in circumstances where across the water prices increased by between 8.5% and 10.4%.

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