Pause on cutting off the power over winter

PEOPLE will not be disconnected from their electricity supply this winter if they fail to pay their bills, the utilities regulator has announced.

A moratorium will be in place for the general public over the winter months, from the start of December until the end of February – with a longer grace period for more vulnerable customers.

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) confirmed the move in an appearance before the Oireachtas Energy Committee yesterday. However, it has urged people not to get themselves into debt by not engaging with their energy suppliers. CRU chairperson Aoife MacEvilly has confirmed that from December 1 to February 28 next year, there will be a pause on disconnections for non-payment for everyone.

For vulnerable customers, the pause comes into force on October 1 and will last until March 31 next.

‘The most critical group are the vulnerable customers who are reliant on medically assistive devices whether it’s assisted living or oxygen condensers or other medical devices,’ Ms MacEvilly said. ‘For those customers, they can never be disconnected for reasons of non-payment.’

She continued: ‘We need to get that message out there because people should absolutely not be avoiding the use of assistive technology in their homes because they’re afraid of their bill. We need more of those customers registered as vulnerable customers.

‘The worst thing that could happen for customers is that they stop engaging, stop paying and get themselves into a situation with debt that is really unmanageable.’

Data that the CRU provided to the committee shows that, as of July, some 10% of electricity customers and 21% of gas customers were behind on bills.

There were 712 domestic electricity customers cut off in the first six months of the year as well as 309 domestic gas customers.

Meanwhile, ESB chief executive Paddy Hayes is to be hauled before the Oireachtas Environment and Climate Action Committee next week amid allegations of ‘out-of-control price-gouging and profits’.

Yesterday, Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen said Mr Hayes had to ‘account for the harrowing time he is putting consumers and businesses through with its pricing and tactics’.

It comes after the ESB reported revenues of €3.7billion in the first six months of 2022. It more than tripled its profits to €390million, compared to the same period in 2021.

Responding to Mr Cowen’s comments, a spokeswoman for the ESB said the company is ‘very concerned’ at the impact on electricity prices and insisted the semi-state firm offers prices that are the ‘most competitive in the market’.

‘Most critical group are the vulnerable’