Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Government is acutely aware of the impact that the increase in global energy prices is having on households. That is why throughout 2022 Government introduced a €2.4 billion package of supports and as part of Budget 2023 introduced a package of once off measures worth €2.5 billion. This 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.This is a measure which uses the single eligibility criterion of a meter point registration number (MPRN), to ensure payments to each domestic electricity account are made as soon as possible, without any additional means testing.

As such, it is being applied automatically to all domestic electricity accounts which are held with suppliers on the effective date for each payment as set out in the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Scheme II Regulations 2022, Statutory Instrument 521 of 2022, i.e. 27 October 2022 in respect of the first payment, 20 December 2022 in respect of the second payment, and 27 February 2023 in respect of the third payment. If a customer switches supplier, it will be the supplier with which they had their account on the relevant effective date that will make the payment to that customer.

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has responsibility for oversight of the scheme and can be contacted on customercare@cru.ie or 1800 404 404. The CRU also has a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members: oireachtas@cru.ie.