Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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220. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will ensure that an individual (details supplied) receives the electricity account credit. [17955/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Budget 2023 included an Electricity Cost Emergency Benefit Scheme through which €550.47 (exclusive of VAT) is being credited to each domestic electricity account in three payments of €183.49 (exclusive of VAT). The first two payments have already been made to accounts and suppliers began crediting the third payment to accounts from 1 March. The estimated cost of this scheme is €1.211 billion.

The payments apply 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. The credit is being applied automatically to all domestic electricity accounts which were held with suppliers on 27 October 2022, 20 December 2022 and 27 February 2023, as identified by the MPRN.

The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is be charged with oversight of the scheme and is accountable to the Oireachtas and not to me as Minister. The CRU have a dedicated email address fro Oireachtas members oireachtas@cru.ie.