Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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195. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 236 of 14 June 2022, if he will provide an update on a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38810/22]

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 in 2022, of a once-off Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment to each domestic electricity account, having regard to the exceptional rise in energy prices. The Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment was €176.22, exclusive of VAT as set out in section 5(2) of the Act.

The benefit payment was allocated to billed costs in the first bill issued after 31 March 2022. Suppliers applied the benefit payment in April, May and June. VAT is applied at the date the bill is issued to the customer.

When the VAT rate was 13.5%, the full benefit of the €176.22 payment to the account was €200. VAT has been reduced from 13.5% to 9% on gas and electricity bills from the start of May until the end of October as part of the suite of measures introduced in the National Energy Security Framework. Therefore, the total benefit to accounts credited after 1 May was adjusted to reflect the decrease in VAT charged.

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/