Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 November 2022
175. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will ensure residents on halting sites, who are currently being treated as commercial electricity customers by local authorities, will receive the electricity credit. [55956/22]
View answer178. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps taken to ensure tenants who are renting a separate dwelling but who do not have their own MPRN number or electricity connection can avail of the electricity costs emergency benefit scheme II; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56025/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 178 together.
The Government is acutely aware of the impact that the recent increases in global energy prices is having on households. This is why a €2.4 billion package of supports was implemented during 2022, and a package of once off measures worth €2.5 billion included in Budget 2023. The Budget package includes an 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). 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. This mechanism allowed payments to be made automatically to 2,138,939 domestic electricity accounts, over 99.36% of eligible accounts, under the first scheme which operated between April and June of this year. While the majority of residential tenants will hold their own domestic electricity accounts, and therefore receive the credit directly, others could have tenancy agreements where tenants pay their actual share of each bill and, in those cases, will benefit from the payment because the amount of the bill will be reduced by the amount of the payment. A small proportion could have other arrangements in place whereby electricity costs are part of the rental cost. Where tenants have a dispute relating to tenancies including any terms relating to electricity payments, these can be referred to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) for dispute resolution. As there is not data set identifying this cohort, increasing awareness of entitlements of existing social protection measures, which include provision for help with household bills, is an important way of supporting people in this situation. Along with the Electricity Cost Emergency Benefit Scheme Budget 2023 also introduced measures including: - €400 lump sum payment to Fuel Allowance recipients - €200 lump sum payment for pensioners and people with a disability getting the Living Alone Increase - €500 cost of living lump sum payment to all families getting Working Family Payment - double payment of Child Benefit to support all families with children - €500 cost of living payment for people receiving Carer's Support Grant will be paid in November - €500 lump sum cost of living disability support grant will be paid to all people receiving a long term disability payment With regard to the provision of funding for Traveller families that use Local Authority traveller accommodation, officials from my Department are progressing the matter with their colleagues in the Department of Housing, Heritage and Local and the City and County Management Association (CCMA).
