Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
185. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has undertaken a study to determine the number of individuals in energy poverty or who are in arrears as a result of high energy prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27392/23]
View answerOn 13 December Government approved a new Energy Poverty Action Plan. The Plan is available at www.gov.ie and sets out the range of measures being implemented, as well as key longer-term measures, to ensure that those least able to afford increased energy costs are supported and protected to adequately heat and power their homes. The implementation of the Action Plan is being monitored by a cross-departmental Steering Group, chaired by my Department.
As set out in the plan, as part of the ESRI’s research programme, Government is providing funding to examine whether existing supports are well-targeted towards those who are at risk of energy poverty and the impact of those supports on the level of energy poverty.
As part of this research the ESRI will:
• propose a metric for measuring energy poverty that combines expenditure and energy efficiency;
• propose metrics to measure changes in the trend of fuel poverty regarding the number of households and its severity.
The research programme is a three year programme and the ESRI will publish papers throughout this time.
As Minister, I meet with a range of stakeholders, including supplier companies, on how best to ensure vulnerable people can stay warm and well during the winter months. Officials from my Department also regularly engage with suppliers on how best to protect vulnerable customers and those in arrears, and to discuss actions being taken by suppliers, such as the provision of supplier hardship funds.
The Government will engage with relevant stakeholders in the coming months to further the implementation of the Energy Poverty Action Plan, and to examine additional support measures in the context of Budget 2024
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) was assigned consumer protection functions under the 1999 Electricity Regulation Act and subsequent legislation and has statutory responsibility for the compliance by energy suppliers with their consumer protection obligations. It is a function of CRU to regulate the market including market monitoring. At their most recent appearance with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action CRU provided further detail on disconnections and arrears. The number of domestic gas customers in arrears at the end of March stood at 160,399, while the number of domestic electricity customers in arrears was 199,790.
