Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 June 2014
127. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of concerns that larger companies, for example, Electric Ireland, are offering energy services to customers at a reduced rate, thus underpricing small local companies, the regulations that are in place to ensure that smaller companies are not priced out of the market by larger national companies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27644/14]
View answerArticle 7 of the Energy Efficiency Directive obliges Member States to achieve energy savings each year from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2020 of 1.5% of the annual energy sales to final customers. Ireland has chosen to partially meet the requirements of Article 7 via the imposition of an Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme on energy suppliers. Earlier this year I introduced Statutory Instrument No. 131 of 2014 to give effect to the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme in Ireland. These Regulations require all energy suppliers above a certain threshold to deliver 550GWh of energy savings every year. Energy suppliers are free to choose the most effective and efficient means of meeting their obligation, be it through internal action or via the use of third parties active in the energy efficiency industry. It is my understanding that most energy suppliers are working with third parties to deliver energy saving solutions to their customers.
