Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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3. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the residents (details supplied) of a property development will receive their €200 emergency benefit scheme payments. [31345/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Act 2022 established a scheme for the making, of a once-off Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment to each domestic electricity account, in 2022, having regard to the exceptional rise in energy prices. The credit of €176.22 ex VAT, which suppliers began applying in April, will be applied to remaining domestic electricity accounts through May and June, and includes prepay meters. The Scheme is one important part of the significant Government response to address energy poverty and protect vulnerable customers in the last Budget, subsequently and most recently in the National Energy Security Framework.

The scheme is operated by ESB Networks and electricity suppliers with oversight by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. To deliver such a widely applicable Scheme in a tight timeframe it uses a single eligibility criterion of a meter point registration number with the credit being applied automatically to all domestic electricity accounts held with suppliers on 29 March.

The payment is being applied to domestic electricity accounts i.e. those which are subject to distribution use of system charges at the rate for urban domestic customers (DG1) or the rate for rural domestic customers (DG2), as set out in section 1 of the Act.

Queries in relation to individual cases are a matter for the service provider.

The Deputy may also wish to note that Frequently Asked Questions, are available on gov.ie at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/4ae14-electricity-costs-emergency-benefit-scheme/