Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 7:

In page 8, after line 41, to insert the following:

“Review by electricity supplier

6. (1) Where an electricity supplier refuses to make an electricity costs emergency benefit payment then the final customer may request the electricity supplier, on or before 30 June 2025 to review its refusal.

(2) The request under subsection (1) shall state the reasons why the person making the request wishes the refusal by the electricity supplier to be reviewed.

(3) The electricity supplier shall within 28 days of the request under subsection (1), take into account the reasons stated in the review request and shall— (a) affirm the refusal to make the electricity costs emergency benefit payment, or

(b) on being satisfied that the final customer is or is eligible to be registered as a vulnerable customer or is the holder of a hardship meter account, make the electricity costs emergency benefit payment. (4) An electricity supplier shall inform the final customer who made the request under subsection (1) of the electricity supplier’s decision under subsection (3) in writing within 28 days of the request for review.

(5) Where the electricity supplier makes a decision referred to in subsection (3)(a) it shall when informing the final customer concerned under subsection (4)— (a) state the reasons for the refusal, and

(b) specify the period (being not less than 60 days from the date on which the final customer concerned is informed of the decision under subsection (4)) within which an objection, under section 9R(1)(e) of the Act of 1999, may be made to the Commission. (6) Where, following a review under this section, an electricity supplier determines that an electricity costs emergency benefit payment will not be applied to a domestic electricity account, the final customer may make an objection, under section 9R(1)(e) of the Act of 1999, to the Commission.”.

This is about the review process when a customer is denied a credit. It is an amendment to strengthen the protection of a customer. Parts of our amendment are the instances where it differs from the Minister’s own. The purpose of this amendment to strengthen the protection for the customers by improving the review process where a customer is refused a payment. Many Sinn Féin representatives, myself included, have been contacted by people from low income and vulnerable households and they have been refused a payment. Our amendment extends the period in which customers may ask for the decision to be reviewed, speeds up the process to within 28 days and extends the period in which a customer may appeal a decision to 60 days, as opposed to the Minister’s proposed 28 days.