Energy Policy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 September 2022

Wednesday, 28 September 2022

Questions (98)

Michael Lowry

Question:

98. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views on whether it is appropriate and justified for an energy provider, such as in the case of a company (details supplied), to be allowed to exit the electricity and gas supply market with only ten working days' notice to the Commissioner for Regulation of Utilities and to the customers of the company; if he will seek to have this notification from the company extended by the Commissioner for Regulation of Utilities to 1 November 2022 in order to give customers who are impacted by the exit of the company additional time to find a new supplier; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47452/22]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (Deputy Eamon Ryan)

The Supplier of Last Resort (SoLR) process is managed by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) as part of its responsibility for the regulation of the retail gas and electricity markets as assigned under the 1999 Electricity Regulation Act and subsequent legislation. The primary objective of the SoLR process is to ensure that customers’ electricity and gas supply is not interrupted. Under the process, all customers of exiting suppliers are transferred to thestandard tariff of that gas or electricity supplier. Customers will remain with the SoLR supplier (in this case Electric Ireland or Bord Gáis Energy for electricity and gas respectively) for the 90 day period, and will have the option of switching to another supplier after the 90-day period. The duration of the SoLR term is determined by a number of factors, including the volume of customers transferring, the requirement of the SoLR to purchase additional energy in the short-term on the wholesale market to provide for these additional customers and to allow adequate time to facilitate the registering of customers and issuing of bills. The SoLR term is approved by the CRU. The CRU is accountable directly to the Oireachtas. Furthermore, the CRU has a dedicated email address where Oireachtas members can contact them directly at: [e-mail]

Question No. 99 answered with Question No. 87.

Question No. 100 answered with Question No. 87.

Question No. 101 answered with Question No. 87.