Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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190. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will indicate the way that the energy credit can be claimed if a person uses so little that the credit rests in their account and cannot be applied to their gas bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52508/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Government is acutely aware of the impact that the recent increases in global energy prices is having on households. This is why a €2.4 billion package of supports was implemented during 2022, and a package of once off measures worth €2.5 billion included in Budget 2023.

The Budget package includes a new Electricity Cost Emergency Benefit Scheme through which €550.47 (exclusive of VAT) will be credited to each domestic electricity account in three payments of €183.49 (exclusive of VAT) in each of the following billing periods - November/December 2022, January/February 2023 and March/April 2023. The estimated cost of this scheme is €1.211 billion.The payment will be applied to domestic electricity accounts, including those with Pay As You Go meters, 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). The scheme uses the single identifier of the Meter Point Registration Number (MPRN) to ensure it can be administered automatically and without an application/approval process. This mechanism allowed payments to be made automatically to 2,138,939 domestic electricity accounts, over 99.36% of eligible accounts, under the first scheme which operated between April and June of this year.

The scheme is operated by the electricity Distribution System Operator, ESB Networks, and electricity suppliers, with oversight by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU).

If the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit payment exceeds the balance on an electricity account, the resulting credit will be carried forward on that account. It is not being applied to domestic gas accounts on the basis that it is intended to be a universal support. Not all consumers use gas but electricity is supplied to all households.