Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 May 2022
95. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of smart electricity meters installed; the geographic distribution of the smart meters installed; and the amount of funding that has been spent on the installation of smart meters. [22225/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe electricity and gas retail markets in Ireland operate within a European Union regulatory regime wherein electricity and gas markets are commercial, liberalised, and competitive. Operating within this overall EU framework, responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets is solely a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity and gas markets following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act (ERA), 1999.The National Smart Metering Programme is overseen by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) and ESB Networks is delivering the electricity meter rollout. To date over 750,000 smart meters have been installed and 1.1 million due to be reached by the end of this year ESB Networks publishes on their website details of the number of smart meters installed and their geographic distribution www.esbnetworks.ie/existing-connections/meters-and-readings/smart-meter-upgrade.CRU estimates that the total cost of the programme will be €1.2 billion. Details of the expenditure costs are included in CRU’s annual review of the network tariffs the most recent of which is available at www.cru.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CRU20084-The-Electricity-Distribution-Network-Allowed-Revenues-for-2021-and-the-DUoS-Tariffs-DLAFs-for-2020-21-1.pdf The Deputy may wish to note that CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members, which enables them raise questions on general energy regulatory matters to CRU at oireachtas@cru.ie for timely direct reply.
