Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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64. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he intends to increase the arrears limit on pre-pay electricity and gas meters to ensure that these households are given the same protection from disconnection as bill-pay households during the moratorium on disconnections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55349/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity market is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which is an independent regulator, accountable to a Committee of the Oireachtas and not to me as Minister. The CRU was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity sector following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999 and subsequent legislation. Under its legal mandate, the CRU is responsible for implementing energy specific customer protection measures including in relation to the matters raised by the Deputy.

As part of the strengthened customer protection measures CRU introduced reduced debt burdens on Pay-as-You-Go customers. The new measures mean that the debt repayment levels will reduce to 10% from a previous 25% on pay-as-you-go customers top-up payments. On a €20 top-up for example, only €2 will go towards debt repayment (if it exists), rather than €5 previously. From 1 December suppliers will be required to ensure that all customers with a financial hardship meter are automatically placed on the most economic tariff. Furthermore, the CRU has decided to suspend the €200 gas meter exchange siteworks charge associated with a customer moving from a PAYG gas meter to a billpay meter, for all domestic customers. There is no charge to move from an electricity PAYG meter to a billpay meter.

Budget 2023 put in place €2.5 billion in once off cost of living supports including 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).