Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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11. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the mechanism by which full-time residents in mobile home parks who pay for electricity calculated by individual non-ESBN meters through their mobile home park operator will receive the three lump sum electricity account credits announced in Budget 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50498/22]

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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20. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if residents of caravan parks may access the full €200 reduction off their energy bills (details supplied); if so, the way in which they may apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50517/22]

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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21. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the options for redress open to prepay customers who were not provided with the €200 reduction off energy bills allocated in April, May and June 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50518/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 20 and 21 together.Government is acutely aware of the impact that the recent increases in global energy prices is having on households and throughout 2022 introduced a €2.4 billion package of supports and as part of Budget 2023 has introduced a package of once off measures worth €2.5 billion. This includes a new Electricity Cost Emergency Benefit Scheme through whereby €550.47 (exclusive of VAT) will be credited to each domestic electricity account in three payments of €183.49 in each of the following billing periods - November/December 2022, January/February 2023 and March/April 2023 to an estimated 2.2 million domestic electricity accounts, including pay as you go accounts. The estimated cost of this scheme is €1.211 billion. The Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment credited €176.22 (excluding VAT) to domestic electricity accounts, including pay as you go accounts, through April, May and June this year. Upon the scheme’s conclusion on 30 June over 2.1 million domestic electricity accounts had received the payment with the value of these payments totalling almost €377 million. This means that 99.36% of eligible domestic electricity accounts had the credit applied.

The forthcoming scheme will apply to domestic electricity accounts using their unique MPRN to allow the payment to be credited to individual bills automatically without the need for application or approval including pay as you go meters.  

While the majority of residential tenants will hold their own domestic electricity accounts, and therefore receive the credit directly, others would have tenancy agreements where tenants pay their actual share of each bill and, in those cases, will benefit from the payment because the amount of the bill will be reduced by the amount of the payment. A small proportion would have other arrangements in place whereby electricity costs are part of the rental cost. Where tenants have a dispute relating to tenancies including any terms relating to electricity payments, these can be referred to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) for dispute resolution.