Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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252. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of domestic gas and electricity disconnections for failure to pay a bill in each month to date in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32739/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European Union regulatory regime wherein electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised, and competitive. Operating within this overall EU framework, responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is solely a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), which was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity and gas markets following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act (ERA), 1999. The CRU is an independent statutory Regulator and is accountable for the performance of its functions to the Oireachtas, and not to me as Minister. The CRU regularly publishes market monitoring reports which include details of the number of domestic disconnections for non payment of account. The most recent annual report is available here . The CRU has published the following document  "Arrears and NPA Disconnections January – September 2020" at ", which includes data for monthly disconnections for non payment of account for the period up to September 2020.This CRU document, already in the public domain, shows that for the period April to June 2020 there were no domestic disconnections.  For the period January to end September 2020, the total domestic monthly disconnections, again already available in the public domain, are 1,005 for electricity and 359 for gas.Given the CRU’s responsibilities and statutory functions in respect of consumer protection, among the measures it took to protect consumers in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, was to put in place a temporary moratorium on domestic electricity and gas disconnections on 16 March, which ended on 29 June. Following the recent introduction of level 5 restrictions the CRU has put in place a moratorium on all disconnections of domestic energy customers from 24 October 2020 until 1 December 2020.

More generally, under the supplier led voluntary Energy Engage Code, suppliers will not disconnect a customer who is engaging with them. Suppliers must also provide every opportunity to customers to avoid disconnection and must identify customers at risk of disconnection and encourage them to talk to them as early as possible.  

The Deputy may wish to note that CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members, which enables them raise questions on electricity and gas regulatory matters, such as the one raised in this question, directly to CRU at oireachtas@cru.ie for timely direct reply.